The battle against Parkinson's

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Millions of people around the world suffer from the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease. One of the most well known people in the world, boxing great Muhammad Ali, suffers from Parkinson's, as does popular activist actor Michael J. Fox. Recently, Parkinson's disease symptoms have begun to be treated with artificially created stem cells.
Scientists and researchers from Cambridge University and MIT have released an announcement that states they have created stem cells from adult skin cells and used them to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The stem cells used to treat such symptoms were created using stem cells from the skin of rats. The reprogrammed stem cells were also used to treat symptoms in rats afflicted with the disease.

American researchers aren't the only ones pursuing this avenue. Last year, Japan also announced that they had begun reprogramming adult skin cells that showed capabilities of mimicking embryonic type stem cells. Recently, research was also discovered that these reprogrammed adult skin cells reprogrammed into stem cells might also be used to treat sickle cell anemia in rats.

While researchers are still trying to determine exactly which properties these adult skin cells will be able to take on, countries around the world are announcing major advancements in their adult stem cell studies. The news provides hope to those afflicted with the tremors and other debilitating effects of Parkinson's, including loss of neuromuscular control, difficulty eating, decreased mobility and brain damage. To many afflicted with the disease, any breakthrough is considered a momentous event.

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