Parkinson disease (PD) is a movement disorder that results in muscle rigidity and tremors. Dopaminergic neuron loss in the substantia nigra region of brain is one of the many known causes of this disease. L-dopa therapy is routinely used in clinics to manage the symptoms of PD. However L-dopa therapy has its own limitations and side effects that necessitate testing of regenerative medicine strategies in this disease. The regeneration of damaged or dying dopaminergic neurons with surgical implantation of adrenal medullary, fetal mesencephalic, and cultured human mesencephalic tissue grafts has been reported with encouraging outcomes. RPE cells may prove to be specifically useful for PD treatment as they can restore the production of dopamine. Some previous trials have reported the putamental implantation of human RPE cells in PD patients. However, Farag et al have reported for the first time, autopsy analysis of a PD patient's brain after RPE cell implantation.

doi : 10.5214/ans.0972.7531.2009.160407

 

Competing interests: None.     Source of Funding: None

Received Date: 13 Aug 2009     Revised Date: 25 Sept 2009     Accepted Date: 07 Oct 2009