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

Article Abstract:

Parkinson's disease causes tremors and rigidity which can eventually eliminate all voluntary movement. The physiologic basis involves the degeneration of cells in a brain structure called the substantia nigra; cells in this structure secrete dopamine. Thus the standard treatment for Parkinson's disease is the administration of L-dopa, which helps the brain replace the missing dopamine. Unfortunately, the treatment does not remain effective indefinitely. Fetal brain tissue containing dopamine neurons, which was removed from a human fetus 8 to 9 weeks of age, was transplanted into a severely affected human Parkinson's disease patient. The patient showed marked, sustained improvement. Although there have been previous attempts to use fetal tissue in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, it was not clear if any benefits following surgery were due to the fetal tissue. But in this case, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging techniques were used to demonstrate that the graft tissue was surviving and functioning within the brain. At present, the implant has survived in the patient for five months; it is not known whether the implant will continue to develop in its new host. It is possible that the implant, which is still very young, may continue to develop and produce further improvement in the patient. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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Fetal nerve grafts show promise in Parkinson's

Article Abstract:

Parkinson's disease causes tremors and rigidity which can eventually eliminate all voluntary movement. The physiological basis of the disease involves degeneration of cells in a brain structure called the substantia nigra; cells in this structure secrete dopamine. Thus the standard treatment for Parkinson's disease is administration of L-dopa, which helps the brain replace the missing dopamine. Unfortunately, the treatment does not remain effective indefinitely. Now researchers are fascinated with the idea of actually replacing the degenerating neurons by transplanting tissue from fetal brains. The Swedish researchers Lindvall et al., reporting their results in the February 2, 1990 issue of Science, have shown that careful attention to the details of preparing and implanting the fetal tissue has developed a procedure which helped at least one Parkinson's disease patient. Three more patients have been treated with the procedure, but it is too soon to determine whether the grafts were successful in these cases. The fetal tissue has been donated from induced abortions, which has raised controversy over the ethical and legal implications of the procedure. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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Cell cycle inhibitors may help brake growth as cells develop

Article Abstract:

Research indicates that muscle cells produce a protein called p21 that acts as a cell cycle inhibitor by suppressing the activity of a key cell cycle enzyme. In this way p21 stops cell division in cells that have differentiated.

Physiological aspects, Cell differentiation, Muscle cells, Cell proliferation, Enzyme inhibitors

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