The role of stem cells in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects more than 1 million people in the United States, which makes it one of the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorders, second only to Alzheimer disease. In light of this significant health problem, this review places emphasis on the exciting prospect of using stem cells as an emerging therapeutic option in this neurologic field. To that goal, the authors first describe the clinical, genetic, and pathologic features of PD and proceed with discussing notions about disease mechanism as well as current medical and surgical treatments before focusing on the advantages, limitations, and feasibility of stem cell therapy.