Could your own nerves help heal Parkinson's? small trial begins
NCT ID NCT05377281
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 01, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This early-stage trial tests whether implanting a small piece of a patient's own nerve tissue into the brain during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery is safe and feasible. Ten people with Parkinson's disease will receive the implant, and researchers will monitor them for a year. The goal is to see if the procedure can be done successfully without major complications.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- patient's own peripheral nerve tissue (sural nerve)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a new way to repair brain damage in Parkinson's disease using the patient's own tissue.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small trial with only 10 people, focused on safety and feasibility. It may not show any benefit, and there are risks from surgery and nerve biopsy.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
-
About 10 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jul 2022
- Expected to finish
-
Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
40 to 75 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Undergoing DBS * Diagnosis of clinically established or clinically probably PD (Parkinson's disease) as defined by MDS criteria * Age 40-75, inclusive * Able and willing to undergo ioflupane/SPECT * Able to tolerate the surgical procedure * Able to undergo all planned assessments * Available access to the sural nerve Exclusion Criteria: * Any condition that would not make the subject a candidate for DBS * Previous PD surgery or intracranial surgery * Typical, nonparkinsonian syndrome ioflupane/SPECT signal * Female who is pregnant, lactating, or of child-bearing potential unwilling to use an adequate birth control method during the period of the study * Unable to undergo an MRI * An obstructed trajectory path to the substantia nigra
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, 40536, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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