Iran opens primate research laboratory

TABNAK, Jan. 05 - An Iranian official said the country has set up a national research laboratory on primates as part of efforts to develop advanced therapies, including stem cell–based treatments for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

News ID: 7089

Date: 05 January 2026 - 11:11

Attaollah Poorabbasi, secretary of the Cognitive Sciences and Technologies Headquarters of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, told Tasnim that the headquarters supports the use of stem cells to treat neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, a project that has been carried out in cooperation with the Royan Institute.

He noted that researchers at the institute have employed a cell-therapy approach to treat Parkinson’s disease, with initial results described as highly satisfactory, Tasnim reported.

Poorabbasi explained that the technology cannot be tested directly on humans at the initial stage and that the animal study phase must be fully completed. He noted that primates play a key role in this process, adding that the first stage of cell injection has been carried out on primates and, if successful, would make it possible to move on to the human phase.

This does not mean cell therapy will soon become a routine treatment option, however, the results achieved point to a promising horizon for treating disorders such as Parkinson’s disease in Iran and indicate that this research pathway could be used in the future, he explained.

He said that achieving positive results at the laboratory scale inside Iran is highly valuable and demonstrates that Iran has attained the technical know-how in this field, adding that only a limited number of countries, including Japan, the United States and some European states, have primate laboratories.