Which country recently approved the world’s first stem-cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells?

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The correct answer is Option B: Japan. Japan approved the world’s first stem-cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The Parkinson’s therapy, named Amchepry, is developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Sumitomo Pharma. The treatment transplants lab-grown stem cells into a patient’s brain to replace damaged dopamine-producing neurons. Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons. Clinical trials involved seven patients aged 50–69 years with no major adverse effects reported. Four participants in the trial showed noticeable improvement in motor functions. The therapy is based on iPS cells, which are reprogrammed adult cells capable of developing into multiple human cell types. iPS cell technology was pioneered by Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka, Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine 2012. iPS cells are ethically advantageous as they do not require embryos and can be produced from donor cells. Around 10 million people worldwide are estimated to live with Parkinson’s disease. Japan also approved ReHeart, a regenerative therapy for severe heart failure using stem-cell-derived heart muscle sheets. ReHeart cell sheets help form new blood vessels and improve cardiac function in heart failure patients.

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India

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South Korea

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Germany

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United States

Which country recently approved the world’s first stem-cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells?

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Which country recently approved the world’s first stem-cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells?

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