Parkinson's Disease, a progressive disease caused by the death of a specific type of nerve cell in the brain that controls fine movements, affects over one million people in the U.S. In 2012, a unique partnership of scientists, clinicians, Parkinson's Disease patients, and patient advocates formed to develop a therapy for the disease. This unique therapy transforms patients’ own skin cells into dopamine neurons and then transplants the neurons into their brains to restore lost cells. Contributions from thousands of people have enabled the Loring lab to perform the preclinical research required to apply for FDA approval in order to conduct a clinical trial. With further support from the foundation and granting agencies, the research and clinical partners hope to transplant cells to the first Parkinson's Disease patient in about three years. Join us as we discuss the crowdsourcing nature of this therapeutic endeavor and the ethical questions the researchers and patients have faced.
Speaker: Jeanne Loring, Professor and Founding Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA
Free registration! https://exploringethicsjune2016.eventbrite.com
Event Page: http://www.ethicscenter.net/crowdsourcing-science-parkinsons-and-stem-cells/
Health Care Communicators of Southern California5694 Mission Center Road, Ste 602-310, San Diego, CA 92108-4312
