Stem Cell Therapy as a Way of Addressing Neurodegenerative Disease

A physician with an extensive background in stem cell research, Dr. Mark J. Holterman engages with the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria as attending pediatric surgeon and professor. Mark Holterman, MD, also guides the Alliance for the Advancement of Cellular Therapies as cofounder and seeks out strategies for advancing the field through dialogue with diverse constituencies including patients, scientists, elected officials, regulatory bodies, and health care organizations. 

Stem cell therapy has had a revolutionary role in advancing the treatment of various human diseases over the past three decades. In the 1980s, a landmark use of this type of therapy was employed in Mexico for the neurodegenerative condition Parkinson's disease (PD). Though outcomes were variable, the science has progressively advanced, with promising treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as PD, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis coming online. 

With neurodegenerative diseases involving the structural and functional loss, or death, of neurons, such conditions share a number of similarities. Unfortunately, currently accessible neurosurgical and pharmacological approaches do not halt the progression of underlying degenerative processes. This makes stem cell therapy a vital area of research in combatting them.