Stem cells to treat Parkinson's? 2 small studies hint at success

Patients suffering from Parkinson's disease may soon benefit from a powerful treatment option: stem-cell transplants.

In a pair of small studies designed primarily to test safety, two teams of researchers found that stem cells transplanted into the brains of Parkinson's patients began producing the chemical messenger dopamine and appeared to ease symptoms like tremor, researchers reported in the journal Nature.