Stem cells in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Stem cells have been suggested as candidate therapeutic tools for neurodegenerative disorders, given their ability to give rise to the appropriate cell types after grafting in vivo. In this review I summarize some of the evidence currently available concerning two approaches for the treatment of Parkinson's disease: (1) The generation of dopaminergic neurons from embryonic stem cells, multipotent stem cells, and neuronal progenitor cells for cell replacement therapy. (2) The engineering of multipotent stem cells to release glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor, a potent neurotrophic factor for dopaminergic neurons, in a neuroprotective and neuroregenerative approach to the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Arenas
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Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. ernest.arenas@mbb.ki.se
D000818:Animals; D016380:Brain Tissue Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000601:surgery*
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D004298:Dopamine