Data from the phase 1 exPDite clinical trial, published in Nature Magazine, demonstrated that injections of dopamine-producing neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells was not only safe 18 months after treatment, but also that some participants "experienced visible reductions in tremors," the Nature reviewer noted.

“The concept of 'rebuilding’ brain networks that have been lost to disease is compelling,” said exPDite senior study investigator Claire Henchcliffe, MD, DPhil, chair of the UC Irvine School of Medicine’s Department of Neurology and a nationally renowned Parkinson's disease specialist.

The phase 3 trial, exPDite-2, will open later this year and this trial will be offered at UCI Health and the UCI Alpha Clinic, the clinical trial arm of the UC Irvine Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. This advancement brings hope for Parkinson’s disease patients and their families, showcasing the promise of regenerative medicine.