A New Zealand company plans to implant pig cells in the human
brain in a clinical trial to treat Parkinson’s disease and help
improve movement and brain functions in patients. The clinical
trials, planned for next year, would be the first using pig
brain cells for potential treatment in humans. Living Cell
Technologies Ltd said the treatment involves transplanting
“support” cells from the brain of pigs that can help repair
damaged nerve tissue in people with Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s is
a degenerative disorder of the nervous system that affects four
to six million people worldwide. In Parkinson’s, reduced
dopamine levels in the brain lead to movement-related symptoms
such as tremor, rigidity and slow movement, and later cognitive
symptoms. Living Cell Chief Executive Andrea Grant said pre-
clinical trials in monkeys showed improvements of more than 50
per cent in symptoms. “Within two weeks of implanting the cells,
we saw an improvement in the movement tremors that the monkeys
had. We saw an improvement in test