Advances in Parkinson's disease management using umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Parkinson's disease (PD), a prevailing neurodegenerative disorder, is marked by the depletion of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. Current therapeutic approaches for PD only offer symptomatic relief, temporarily enhancing the patient's quality of life. In recent time, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have exhibited promise as a new regimen for PD due to their capacity to morph into various cell types and release neurotrophic factors that foster neuronal survival and regeneration. Human umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) is gaining attention as a viable cellular therapy for treating PD, given their ethical and non-invasive isolation, low immunogenicity, minimal senescence, high proliferation rate and regenerative potential. Numerous studies have demonstrated the ability of hUCMSCs in improving underlying pathophysiological factors implicated in PD such as cognitive functions, behavioral and motor recovery, modulation of microenvironment by secreting tropic factors and exosomes, differentiation into dopaminergic neuron-like cells, neuroprotection, reduction in apoptosis and oxidative stress. The purpose of this review is to critically analzye the progress in preclinical and clinical studies of hUCMSCs based therapy for PD.