Actually stem cell research may not be the exact direction of a cure because of issues yet to be completely resolved.
However, that said, check this out:
http://parkinsonsfocustoday.blogspot.com/2009/03/parkinsons-disease-research-part-ii.html
You can check the right column for various articles about treatments and research.

Thanks to President Obama, the stem cell (ESC) area of research has opened for the submission of meds to the FDA by private companies as well as funding to universities.
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That said, we should almost certainly see a cure within the next ten years and with lots of $$$$$$$$$ and luck, we may see a cure(s) much sooner.

There is research going on in several directions. Phytopharm is seeking funding to develop Cogane which will either be another PD treatment or possibly a cure. It is a GDNF (glial derived neurotropic factor) which has restored learning and memory ability in Alzheimer’s lab rodents. PYM50028 (the lead factor in Cogane) has been demonstrated to prevent and reverse neuron damage in PD models.

We still don’t know the cause(s) of PD but there is intense investigation in that area as well.

There is more research in the direction of the role genetics takes in causing PD. It is already known that between 8-10% of PD is genetic. Studies, genome studies are being conducted worldwide.

You might find it interesting and informative to take a look at the variety of research being given grants by the Michael J Fox Foundation. That will give you an idea of the diversity of direction.
http://www.michaeljfox.org/research.cfm

To bring medications through the FDA process requires tremendous amounts of money.

For the Parkinson’s patient today, there are several lines of treatment which may help stop, slow or even reverse some of the progression of the disease and when you have a (currently) incurable chronic disease, that is something.

4/17/09 addendum: The draft version of the NIH policy about embryonic stem cell federal funding was issued today. We have put up a link here:
http://parkinsonsfocustoday.blogspot.com/2009/04/stem-cell-guideline-draft-issued-41709.html

Yes, we are very close to curing Parkinson’s – this is because there is a lot of research in degenerative brain diseases. Parkinson’s only affects one part of the brain unlike Alzheimer that attacks any part of the brain randomly.

A very close friend of mine works with stem cells to find cures for such diseases and Parkinson’s is at the top of the list

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWisR7jL7Ss

I’ve not read anything positive about a cure lately. They still talk about treatment that my mother had in the 1950′s and 1960′s which didn’t do her any good. The first treatment was drilling holes in her skull and freezing certain parts of the brain and the second attempt was the same drilling and inserting electrodes and applying electric shocks to the brain parts.
The only light relief she got was from a drug called L Dopa.