French scientists are experimenting with a new way to combat Parkinson's disease: using light to stimulate damaged nerve cells in the brain.
Researchers from a biomedical research centre affiliated with Grenoble University Hospital announced their progress on Radio France, explaining that while the trial is still at a very early stage, it could lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of the neurodegenerative disease.
Around 10 million people worldwide have Parkinson's, and that figure is expected to double by 2050, according to Parkinson's Europe. There is no cure, but researchers have been searching for ways to slow the disease and alleviate symptoms, which include tremours, muscle rigidity, and slowness of movement.
If it is successful in larger studies, the French clinical trial could help disrupt the progression of the disease through a non-invasive technique that stimulates the functional recovery of neurons, or nerve cells.
The study targets dopamine-secreting neurons, which are critically affected as Parkinson's progresses.
Around half of these cells may be damaged by the time symptoms appear, while patients lose an average of 10 per cent of their dopamine receptors per year, according to Dr Stephan Chabardès, a neurosurgeon at Grenoble University Hospital.
The aim of the trial is to slow down patients' neurological deterioration, Chabardès said.
The technique directs light beams to neurons deep inside the brain to target mitochondria – responsible for energy production within the cell – to stimulate them and improve their function, thereby revitalising the damaged cells.
Chabardès said that in order to access these deep brain regions, the researchers developed a special compact device that combines advanced expertise in electronics, photonics, and nanotechnology, enabling the system to get smaller without sacrificing performance.
"It is the combination of this medical expertise in neurosurgery with expertise in micro and nanotechnologies that makes it possible to achieve these medical feats," he said.
So far, the technology has been applied to seven patients with early stages of the disease, and preliminary results indicate a slowdown in the deterioration of symptoms in three of them, especially with continued stimulation.
It appeared that the light stimulation helped restore some brain function in these three cases, Chabardès said.
"It's very preliminary, but what we are seeing is quite promising," Chabardès said.
He noted that researchers will only launch a larger clinical trial if the study finds a tangible and stable effect.
