Australian researchers from the University of Melbourne have developed a new technique that uses stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease.

Stem cells can now be transplanted into the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease to replace their lost dopamine-producing neurons. Parkinson's occurs when nerve cells in the brain stop producing dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that allows the smooth, coordinated function of the body's muscles and movement. When the body doesn't receive enough dopamine it starts to experience tremors, stiffness of the muscles and slowness of movement.

The Australian researchers have developed a technique to reprogram embryonic stem cells to act as dopamine neurons. This new treatment could lead to a more effective long-term treatment that current medication for Parkinson's. Drug therapies only work initially until the disease progresses to a point where the medication doesn't work at all.

"It's not a cure but the potential is that if we reach our goals it will be a therapy that has many benefits over currently available drug therapies," said Dr. Lachlan Thompson, one of the scientists involved in the research.

The idea for using stem cells to replace damaged dopamine producing neurons had been developed in the 1980s by Swedish scientists but until now treatment has been too risky. The Australian scientists discovered that only 30 percent of the reprogrammed stem cells survived being transplanted into the brain, the rest remained as ordinary stem cells which can grow and cause tumors in the human brain. Dr. Thompson and his team are now working on identifying and separating the therapeutic cells from the cancer-causing cells.

"We have made some recent progress in that area by identifying novel molecules on the therapeutic cells that allow us to target them and essentially pull them out and purify them," he said.

"I think that will really potentially be an important breakthrough on the road to clinical translation."

While there is still more research to be done before the treatment can be ready for a clinical trial, Dr. Thompson is optimistic that it can be done within the next five to ten years. The treatment can also be used to help stroke patients as well as those with heart disease and leukemia.

Parkinson's disease affects one in 350 Australians. It is the country's second commonest neurological disease and there are 30 more people diagnosed every day. According to Parkinson's Australia the estimated burden of the disease for 2011-2012 is valued at $7.6 billion nationwide.