Scientists are still searching for effective treatments for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's, ALS, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In his pioneering research, neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duma is testing whether stem cell therapy can effectively treat these diseases. 

Duma is medical director of Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital’s Brain Tumor Program in Newport Beach, California and president and founder of Regeneration Biomedical, which develops stem cell therapies for neurological disorders. He recently completed Phase 1 of its clinical trial, a first-in-human approach that delivers a patient’s own fat-derived stem cells directly into the brain’s ventricles to target neurodegenerative diseases.

In this interview with Being Patient’s Mark Niu, Duma discusses how the trial is progressing. He explains the approach, shares Phase 1 safety results with encouraging early signals in biomarkers and cognition, and outlines a Phase 2 trial that will test effectiveness in a larger group of participants with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Phase 2 of the study calls for injections every two months with regular scans and laboratory tests, aiming to show whether this therapy could expand care options for people living with neurodegenerative disease.

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Being Patient is an editorially independent journalism outlet for news and reporting about brain health, cognitive science, and neurodegenerative diseases. In our Live Talk series on Facebook, former Wall Street Journal Editor and founder of Being Patient, Deborah Kan, interviews brain health experts and people living with dementia. 

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