The STEM-PD trial is a multicentre (Sweden and UK), single arm (treatment only) trial that will assess the safety of escalating doses of stem cell-derived dopamine progenitors. Four patients will be transplanted with the first dose, and once all four patients have completed 6 months follow up, an evaluation will be performed to assess if the last 4 patients should receive the same or a higher (double) dose. This stepwise design is to maximise safety for the participants.

As the main goal of the trial is to evaluate safety, tolerability, and feasibility of the therapy, the primary outcome of the trial is focussed on monitoring  adverse events and serious adverse events in the first 12 months following transplantation. The secondary outcomes will evaluate any potential clinical benefits of the treatment, as assessed by clinical rating scales and neuroimaging techniques at 12-36 months after transplantation.

Who can take part in the STEM-PD Trial?

Eight patients with moderate Parkinson’s disease will be recruited from the participating centres in the UK and Sweden – Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospital, Cambridge, UK and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. Participation is not an open recruitment process, and the clinical trial team will not be accepting any requests from individuals volunteering to take part in the trial.