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

Journal Article · Fri Feb 02 00:00:00 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), Vol. 247:4942; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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