While there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, an upcoming experiment offers hope to the more than 10 million people living with the disorder that a breakthrough may be on the horizon.

A team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of Cambridge, are planning to develop a new kind of brain implant from small clusters of brain cells to treat Parkinson’s disease. This approach  aims to repair neural pathways damaged by the aggressive disease and will first be tested on animals.

“Our ultimate goal is to create precise brain therapies that can restore normal brain function in people with Parkinson’s,” George Malliaras from the University of Cambridge, who will co-lead the project along with fellow Cambridge researcher Roger Barker, said in the statement.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by the breakdown and death of neurons in the brain, particularly those that produce dopamine. Reduced dopamine levels disrupt normal brain activity, affecting motor control and causing movement problems. Scientists don’t know what triggers the disease, and there is currently no cure. While dopamine-based medications are effective early in treatment, they often lead to significant and unpleasant side effects over time.

Malliaras and Barker’s team hopes to address this problem by developing transplants made from midbrain organoids—small clusters of brain cells. Similar to cell-replacement therapy, researchers plan to transplant these midbrain organoids into the brain. Then, they’ll use “advanced materials and electrical stimulation” to support the transplanted cells’ connection to the nervous system and the restoration of lost neural pathways.