title: Intracerebral xenotransplantation: recent findings and perspectives for local immunosuppression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cell therapy is a promising strategy for tissue repair in the central nervous system. In this perspective, several cell types are being considered, including allogenic neuroblasts, embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. The use of allogenic neuroblasts as cell source is limited by logistics and ethical problems whereas transplantation of the last two cell types is hampered by their propensity to generate tumour. In this context, transplantation of xenogeneic neural cells appears as an attractive approach for effective neuronal replacement in case of neurodegenerative disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With the emergence of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells as potential cell source in regenerative medicine, little attention has been paid to the possibility of transplanting xenogenic neural cells in the central nervous system. However, recent progress to circumvent the host immune response in the brain has raised encouraging perspectives for intracerebral xenotransplantation as restorative strategy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To date, most of the immunosuppressive strategies designed for long-term survival of intracerebral neural transplants were based on systemic immunosuppression that has detrimental side-effects. The immunological status of the brain and the presence of the blood-brain barrier raise the possibility of local immunosuppression. This article provides an overview of the strategies recently developed to protect intracerebral neural transplants with special focus on local immunosuppression.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, UMR643, CHU de Nantes, Institut de Transplantation-Urologie-Néphrologie, ITUN, France.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lévêque
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cozzi
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Naveilhan
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Neveu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery*; D002470:Cell Survival; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D009474:Neurons / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents