Japan performs first approved iPS stem-cell transplant for Parkinson's

Sumitomo Pharma says the first patient has received its conditionally approved stem-cell therapy for Parkinson's disease, a world first, at Kyoto University Hospital in October. The treatment implants donor iPS cells grown into precursors of dopamine-producing brain cells. In trials, four of seven patients improved with no major side effects. The company plans 20 to 30 transplants by March 2029.