[Cell therapy and other neuroregenerative strategies in Parkinson's disease (I)].
OBJECTIVE
To review, from a mainly clinical standpoint, the different strategies applied to regenerate or restore the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in Parkinson's disease. This first part focuses on the results of adrenal medulla and human fetal mesencephalic transplants, and a second part will address transplants of other cell types, administration of trophic factors, and gene therapy.


METHODS
Adrenal medulla transplants were abandoned because of their inconsistent results and high morbidity. Although fetal mesencephalic transplantation can produce long-term restoration of striatal dopamine deficiency, this neurochemical effect is clinically inadequate in presence of progressive neuronal loss. Other strategies with similar 'dopaminergic' action mechanism are not a therapeutic option in this setting.


CONCLUSIONS
The objective of neuroregenerative therapy for Parkinson's disease should include trophic restoration of damaged neuronal systems, since improvement in striatal dopaminergic function is not sufficient. After the recent failure of the direct (intraventricular or intraputaminal) administration of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), attention of researchers has focused on indirect methods, including transplantation of GDNF-producing cells (carotid body cell aggregates or different genetically modified cells, including stem cells), and in vivo gene therapy.
Mínguez-Castellanos
A
A
Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, 18013 Granada, Spain. aminguezc@meditex.es
Escamilla-Sevilla
F
F
D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000637:transplantation; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D016332:Fetal Tissue Transplantation; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D004298:Dopamine