Cell-based therapy for Parkinson's disease: A journey through decades toward the light side of the Force

Abstract

This review describes the history, development, and evolution of cell-based replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD), from the first pioneering trials with fetal ventral midbrain progenitors to future trials using stem cells as well as reprogrammed cells. In the spirit of Tom Isaacs, the review takes parallels to the storyline of Star Wars, including the temptations from the dark side and the continuous fight for the light side of the Force. It is subdivided into headings based on the original movies, spanning from A New Hope to the Last Jedi.

Keywords: Parkinson's disease; Star Wars; cell reprogramming; human embryonic stem cells; human-induced pluripotent stem cells; induced neurons; transplantation.