Date of Award

Spring 2024

Degree Name

Master of Medical Science (Physician Assistant)

Department

Physician Assistant; College of Health Sciences

First Advisor

Kim Erikson

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a challenging disease as a whole: not only are there challenges in terms of treatment, but also understanding how the disease progresses is difficult in it by itself. Current on-market drugs can only provide symptomatic relief, and do not tackle disease progression. Luckily, stem cell therapy has emerged as a new way of tackling the disease, possessing the potential to address the pathology and improve the neurodegenerative decline. Still, stem cells have challenges imposing on the progression of their research. These challenges range from diagnostics hindrances to ethical concerns, and as a result often lead to limited sample sizes in clinical trials. While slim in numbers, human trials reveal promising results and safety profiles for stem cell treatments such as AstroStem and Neurostem; still, phase II trials are lacking, and as such their efficacy compared to current drugs are yet to be evaluated. Recent research have also delved mice trials with promising results, particularly with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) showing reductions in beta-amyloid plaques and improving cognition. Still, if these findings in mice are to be reflected in human trials, the challenges of stem cell therapies such as tweaking transplantation methods and conducting larger-scale clinical trials need to be addressed.

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Stem Cells and Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a challenging disease as a whole: not only are there challenges in terms of treatment, but also understanding how the disease progresses is difficult in it by itself. Current on-market drugs can only provide symptomatic relief, and do not tackle disease progression. Luckily, stem cell therapy has emerged as a new way of tackling the disease, possessing the potential to address the pathology and improve the neurodegenerative decline. Still, stem cells have challenges imposing on the progression of their research. These challenges range from diagnostics hindrances to ethical concerns, and as a result often lead to limited sample sizes in clinical trials. While slim in numbers, human trials reveal promising results and safety profiles for stem cell treatments such as AstroStem and Neurostem; still, phase II trials are lacking, and as such their efficacy compared to current drugs are yet to be evaluated. Recent research have also delved mice trials with promising results, particularly with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) showing reductions in beta-amyloid plaques and improving cognition. Still, if these findings in mice are to be reflected in human trials, the challenges of stem cell therapies such as tweaking transplantation methods and conducting larger-scale clinical trials need to be addressed.