Differential behavioral outcomes following neonatal versus fetal human retinal pigment epithelial cell striatal implants in parkinsonian rats.
Following the failure of a Phase II clinical study evaluating human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cell implants as a potential treatment option for Parkinson's disease, speculation has centered on implant function and survival as possible contributors to the therapeutic outcomes. We recently reported that neonatal hRPE cells, similar to hRPE cells used in the Phase II clinical study, produced short-lived in vitro and limited in vivo trophic factors, which supports that assumption. We hypothesize that the switch from fetal to neonatal hRPE cells, between the Phase I and the Phase II clinical trial may be partly responsible for the later negative outcomes. To investigate this hypothesis, we used two neonatal hRPE cell lots, prepared in a similar manner to neonatal hRPE cells used in the Phase II clinical study, and compared them to previously evaluated fetal hRPE cells for behavioral changes following unilateral striatal implantation in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats. The results showed that only fetal, not neonatal, hRPE cell implants, were able to improve behavioral outcomes following striatal implantation in the lesioned rats. These data suggest that fetal hRPE cells may be preferential to neonatal hRPE cells in restoring behavioral deficits.
Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada. kruss1@interchange.ubc.ca.|The Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, Entrance 11B, 2.sal, 2400, Copenhagen NV, Denmark. kruss1@interchange.ubc.ca.
Kaspar
K
Russ
Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada.
Joseph
J
Flores
The Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, Entrance 11B, 2.sal, 2400, Copenhagen NV, Denmark.
Tomasz
T
Brudek
Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada.
Doris J
DJ
Doudet
D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000601:surgery; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016627:Oxidopamine; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011897:Random Allocation; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D016627:Oxidopamine; D000661:Amphetamine
6-hydroxydopamine; Cell transplantation; Fetal; Neonatal; Parkinson’s disease; Retinal pigment epithelial cells