OUTLOOK

04 November 2026

After decades of work, researchers have begun trialling transplants of dopamine neurons into people with the neurodegenerative disease — with early signs of success.

By

Laura Dattaro Laura Dattaro is a science journalist in Maplewood, New Jersey.

Illustration: Antoine Doré

In people with Parkinson’s disease, neurons in the brain that produce dopamine are continuously lost. Without the neurotransmitter, which is crucial for movement, control of motor function begins to break down, resulting in symptoms such as tremors — one of the hallmarks of Parkinson’s.

Nature 659 , S2-S4 (2026)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-03166-0

This article is part of Nature Outlook: Parkinson’s disease , a supplement produced with financial support from Aspen Neuroscience, Inc . Nature maintains full independence in all editorial decisions related to the content. About this content .

References

Schweitzer, J. S. et al. N. Engl. J. Med.…