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FROM: Toronto Star April 10, 2002 Wednesday Ontario Edition SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A14 HEADLINE: Scientists urge caution in stem cell case BYLINE: Vanessa Lu, Toronto Star HIGHLIGHT: Parkinson's study involved only a single patient Dennis Turner says he was willing to try anything after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a decade ago. The 59-year-old California man is believed to be the first person injected with his own re-engineered stem cells to reduce the symptoms of the degenerative neurological disease. His case made headlines yesterday after researchers announced the preliminary findings at a conference in Chicago this week. However, scientists in Canada quickly cautioned Parkinson's patients and their families not to raise their hopes, given that the study involved only one patient. "I'm very skeptical," said Dr. Anthony Lang, who is director of the movement disorders unit at Toronto Western Hospital. "I'm concerned that the information we have is misleading. I'm concerned this is driven by a company and that the science is being withheld." Dr. Alan Bernstein, president of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, also said it is too soon to say whether stem cells work in treating Parkinson's disease. "It's even too early to say it's promising," Bernstein said. Turner, a nuclear reactor engineer and pilot, was first diagnosed with disease after a tremor emerged in his right hand. It eventually worsened so Turner found it difficult to write or put in contact lenses. He was referred to Dr. Michel Levesque, a neurosurgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Levesque, who trained in Montreal, is also vice-president, medical affairs, for Celmed Biosciences, which first issued a news release touting the research. Celmed is a subsidiary of Theratechnologies, a Canadian biotechnology firm. Levesque removed cells from Turner's brain in a 1998 biopsy. The cells were then manipulated in the lab for several months until they reached a mature stage and were producing dopamine, the chemical that is missing or reduced in Parkinson's patients. In all, about 6 million cells were implanted into the left side of Turner's brain in six areas, which control his dominant right side, in March, 1999. "I was wide awake through it," Turner said in an interview yesterday from his home in San Clemente. "It's like sitting in a dentist's chair. They use local anesthetic and start drilling. "I took a chance. I thought it might work, it might not, but at least something would be learned (from it)." Three months later, tests indicated that more dopamine was being produced and Turner's symptoms began to subside, Levesque said in an interview yesterday. Formal publication of the study's results is expected soon in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, he added. However, a year after the surgery, the surge in dopamine levels had fallen, but Turner still continued to show signs of improving clinically, he said. "This suggests there are other mechanisms beyond the dopamine process that benefited this patient," Levesque said, adding further research is planned. Previous research was funded by a private Parkinson's foundation, but Celmed will fund future trials. Because Turner had surgery only on one side of his brain, he still takes medication to control his left side. When Turner learned he had Parkinson's disease, he decided it was time to make sure he got to do all the things he dreamed of. "I had to move up my schedule," he said. He took an early retirement package and now travels regularly to the South Pacific to go scuba diving and to Africa to photograph animals. Lang, who also holds a chair in Parkinson's disease research at the University of Toronto, urges people not get ahead of the research. "This is not an appropriate presentation. We have a study on a single individual ... and researchers are claiming wondrous effect," Lang said, adding the placebo effect can influence patients and physicians, who both want to see benefits. "My life is spent dealing with this human misery of Parkinson's," he said. "I don't want to see patients misled. I would love to be proven wrong. Turner dismisses suggestions the stem cells are not the reason he has improved. He knows that he has better control of his right hand today. Before the surgery, Turner said it took 20 minutes to put in contact lenses. Now it only takes two minutes. Turner said the surgery isn't a miracle cure since he still has shaking in his right hand, especially when he's nervous or excited. "I imagine there will always be skeptics. Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn