Scientists Create Source for Treating Parkinson’s

Researchers said Monday they had created a possible new source for treating Parkinson’s patients--the brain cells of cloned cattle.

Brain cells from cattle fetuses were genetically engineered, then cloned and injected into rats with Parkinson’s disease. The treatment seemed to reduce the symptoms in the rats, the researchers reported in the journal Nature Medicine.

They said they hoped the technique could one day be used in people. The scientists’ approach combined three new technologies--cloning, genetic engineering and the use of fetal brain cells.

There is no cure for Parkinson’s, a common brain disorder that causes tremors and progresses to total muscle failure and death.