There is no proven medical benefit to these operations. The outcry led to the abandonment of such operations - although they have since been carried out on a regular basis in other countries, including France and Sweden. In several cases symptoms including loss of balance and stooped gait have disappeared. Parkinson's involves loss of the brain's dopamine-making cells. There is no cure.
People suffer dementia and loss of control of movements before they die.
As part of each operation, striatal cells are removed from two foetuses and are then injected into the brains of patients. If there are no harmful side-effects, we will then carry out a further six operations next year.