Grafts of fetal dopamine neurons survive and improve motor function in Parkinson's disease

Journal Article · Fri Feb 02 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.2105529· OSTI ID:6993914

Lindvall, O; Brundin, P; Widner, H; Rehncrona, S; Gustavii, B; Frackowiak, R; Leenders, K L; Sawle, G; Rothwell, J C; Marsden, C D ^[1]

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1. University Hospital, Lund (Sweden)

Neural transplantation can restore striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission in animal models of Parkinson's disease. It has now been shown that mesencephalic dopamine neurons, obtained from human fetuses of 8 to 9 weeks gestational age, can survive in the human brain and produce marked and sustained symptomatic relief in a patient severely affected with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The grafts, which were implanted unilaterally into the putamen by stereotactic surgery, restored dopamine synthesis and storage in the grafted area, as assessed by positron emission tomography with 6-L-({sup 18}F)fluorodopa. This neurochemical change was accompanied by a therapeutically significant reduction in the patient's severe rigidity and bradykinesia and a marked diminuation of the fluctuations in the patient's condition during optimum medication (the on-off phenomenon). The clinical improvement was most marked on the side contralateral to the transplant.

• OSTI ID: 6993914
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (USA), Journal Name: Science (Washington, D.C.); (USA) Vol. 247:4942; ISSN SCIEA; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
550901 -- Pathology-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
AMINES
ANIMAL CELLS
AROMATICS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOSYNTHESIS
BODY
BRAIN
CARDIOTONICS
CARDIOVASCULAR AGENTS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
DOPAMINE
DRUGS
EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
FETUSES
FLUORINE 18
FLUORINE ISOTOPES
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
IMMUNOSUPPRESSION
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NERVE CELLS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES
NEUROREGULATORS
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PATIENTS
PHENOLS
POLYPHENOLS
POSITRON COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
RADIOISOTOPES
SOMATIC CELLS
SYMPATHOMIMETICS
SYNTHESIS
TOMOGRAPHY
TRANSPLANTS