Restoration of brain function by cell transplantation
Kakishita, K.; Nakao, N.; Itakura, T.
Nihon Rinsho. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine 61(3): 457-462
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1852 PMID: 12701173 Document Number: 555944
The first trial of restoring brain functions with cell grafting was performed in 1979 using a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Fetal nigral tissue was demonstrated to survive grafted tissue and to repair motor dysfunction in the model rat. The encouraging results indicate that cell transplantation may be useful to restore brain functions in neurodegenerative disorders in which a certain type of neuronal populations is specifically damaged. This review article discussed the possibility of cell transplantation therapy in several neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease.