In a unique blend of the scientific and civilian worlds, La Jolla scientists are joining forces with the people whose ailments they hope to cure to raise money for some groundbreaking medical advancements. Jeanne Loring, Ph.D., founding director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Scripps Research Institute, and Dr. Melissa Houser, director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center and the Deep Brain Stimulation Center, both at Scripps Clinic, are piloting a project they hope will change the face of treatment of Parkinson’s Disease for good. Loring, in charge of Phase I of the project, will reprogram patients’ skin cells into non-embryonic, induced pluripotent stem cells that can self-renew and produce dopaminergic neurons to replace those lost — even long lost — through the progression of the disease. In Phase II, Houser will inject the transformed neurons that now have an exact DNA match into her test subjects’ brains, with the goal of a creating a new clinical option to treat the debilitating disorder. The effort, however, is being fought from a different side as well. Three men, all in their 50s and all suffering from Parkinson’s, plan to help the scientists raise money for the research through one big undertaking: climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. On Sept. 8, the three — along with an entourage of 14 family and friends — will face the mountain with the objective of funding non-embryonic stem cell research. The climbers will be paying their own way, and, along with the all-volunteer board of advisors with the Summit4StemCell organization and the Parkinson’s Association of San Diego, will help ensure the money raised goes strictly to the research. The obvious challenge of scaling the world’s tallest freestanding mountain — as well as the increased challenge of doing so with a debilitating disease like Parkinson’s — doesn’t seem to phase the team. Ken Shreiner, one of the men who suffers from the disease, wrote in a recent statement, “I do it because I need to.” On Aug. 27, Loring and Houser will be on hand at a fundraising event at Fairbanks Ranch Clubhouse (15150 San Dieguito Road in Ranch Santa Fe). Featuring hors d’oeuvres by chef Yealang Smith, wine and a silent auction, the proceeds will go to fund the scientists’ research. For more information, visit www.summ- it4stemcell.org.
