Introduction: In 2023, Cleveland Clinic reported that approximately 50 million people worldwide are affected by neurodegenerative diseases. The most prevalent of these diseases are Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson's Disease, and Huntington’s. Unfortunately, treatment options for these diseases are limited, and drug approval is a challenge, however, stem cell therapy provides promising hope for many patients. The aim of this study is to assess the therapeutic potential of stem cell therapy in treating neurodegenerative diseases; Alzheimer’s diseases, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntingtons
Methods: A review on the Pubmed database was done out of which 8 were included based on inclusion criteria which included clinical trials including those done on humans and animals. While studies on people having co-morbids along with neurodegenerative disorder was excluded.
Results: Stem cell therapy aids by replacing cells, secreting factors, reducing inflammation, and activating endogenous cells. Research indicates that Parkinson's disease is particularly receptive to stem cell therapy due to their ability to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons, reducing the progression of disease in 74% of the patients. Furthermore, in Alzheimer's disease, embryonic stem cells have shown capacity to restore cognitive function in rodents but have failed in human clinical translation. Finally, in Huntington's disease, stem cells transplanted in mice brains did not only survive but also successfully differentiated into motor neurons and improved motor impairment as early as 10 weeks after therapy.
Conclusion : Stem cell therapy is still in its experimental form, and has many complications along its benefits. Further studies and understanding of its phenomenon can bring hope for the upcoming elderly population.
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