Zhongshan Hospital Completes First Parkinson's Stem Cell Transplant; Pain Eases Six Months On

Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University has released the six-month follow-up results for its first Parkinson's disease patient to receive NCR201 stem cell transplantation, showing marked improvement in both motor function and quality of life, with no serious adverse reactions. The patient, Ms. Zhang, underwent the NCR201 stem cell transplant at Zhongshan Hospital on Jan.

7, 2026, becoming the hospital's first patient enrolled in the phase II clinical trial. A review conducted six months after surgery showed markedly decreased muscle tone and substantially relieved nerve pain, and she can now walk normally and even do housework. Zhu Wei, chief physician of the Department of Neurosurgery, said that unlike conventional drugs and deep brain stimulation, which only control symptoms, the value of stem cell therapy lies in rebuilding the dopaminergic neural network in the brain.

NCR201 works through targeted intracerebral transplantation of dopaminergic neural precursor cells differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells. The phase II clinical trial was launched in December 2025, with Zhongshan Hospital serving as a key participating site.