NTCELL: Parkinson’s

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a loss of brain cells that produce dopamine (a neurotransmitter that conveys messages between brain cells to ensure effective movement and planning of movement) and many other types of neurons. People with Parkinson’s disease experience reduced and slow movement (hypokinesia and bradykinesia), rigidity and tremors. Non-motor symptoms such as cognitive changes, mood disorders, and sleep disturbances can also be present.

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease, affecting approximately 7 million people worldwide. The average age of onset is 60 years, and the incidence increases with age. Men are one and a half times more likely to have Parkinson's disease than women.

The economic burden of PD is substantial. Direct costs include medical and drug expenses, while indirect costs involve loss of productivity and caregiver time. As of 2020, the annual economic burden of PD in the U.S. was estimated to be around $52 billion, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. This figure includes direct medical costs of $25.4 billion and indirect costs, like lost income and social security income, of $26.5 billion. The cost is predicted to grow substantially due to an aging population.

Current treatments for Parkinson’s disease are symptomatic and do not reverse or slow the degeneration of neurons in the brain. Most existing pharmaceutical treatment options focus on restoring the balance of dopamine and other neurotransmitters. The effectiveness of dopamine replacement therapy declines as the disease progresses. When dopamine treatments are no longer useful, some patients are treated with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), in which a medical device is surgically implanted in the brain in order to send electrical impulses to regions of the brain involved in the control of movement. While DBS leads to short-term symptomatic improvement, it does not impact disease progression and is not curative or neuroprotective.

These statistics highlight the urgent need for ongoing research to find effective treatments and ultimately a cure for PD.

NTCELL® is an alginate coated capsule containing clusters of neonatal porcine choroid plexus cells that are sourced from a unique herd of designated pathogen-free pigs bred from stock originally discovered in the remote sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands.

Choroid plexus cells are naturally occurring “support” cells for the brain and secrete cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which contains a range of factors that support nerve cell functions and protective enzymes that are crucial for nerve growth and healthy functioning. In NTCELL, the porcine choroid plexus cells are coated with LCT’s propriety technology IMMUPEL™ to protect them from attack by the immune system. Therefore, no immunosuppressive regimen is required for treatment.

Following implantation into a damaged site within the brain, NTCELL functions as a neurochemical factory producing CSF and secreting multiple nerve growth factors that promote new central nervous system (CNS) growth and repair disease-induced nerve degeneration while potentially removing waste products such as amyloids and proteins.