Knock-out and Transgenic Strategies to Improve Neural Transplantation Therapy for Parkinson's Disease
Abstract
The remaining obstacles to achieving reliable therapeutic effects by neurotransplantation for Parkinson's disease (PD) are 1) poor survival of grafted fetal neurons and 2) insufficient axonal outgrowth and functional recovery. We carried out experiments aimed at by short-term inhibition by pre-treatment of fetal cells with pharmacological inhibitors of caspases. In our second objective of enhancing axonal growth leading to optimal functional recovery by neuronal transplants, we employed transgenic bcl-2 overexpressing donor cells and similar molecules influencing the growth of axons in the fetal and adult CNS. Use of such molecules could significantly improve neural transplantation and related regenerative therapies. Our results indicate that hubcl-2 expression can enhance dopaminergic axonal outgrowth in vivo. Immunophilin ligands and (GDNF can also generate increased axonal elongation and branching of dopamine neurons.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA382505
Entities
People
- Ole Isacson