TRANSPLANTATION OF HUMAN FETAL STRIATUM INTO A RODENT MODEL OF HUNTINGTONS-DISEASE AMELIORATES LOCOMOTOR DEFICITS

Previous studies have demonstrated that syngeneic transplants of stria tal tissue can ameliorate locomotor deficits in rodent models of Hunti ngton's disease (HD). In the present study, we have examined whether h uman to rat xenografts of fetal striatal tissue can exert a similar re covery of function. Rodents with unilateral striatal lesions were tran splanted with human striatal cells from a donor 14 weeks post-concepti on, and subsequently displayed a progressive decrease in rotational as ymmetry in comparison to sham (saline) transplanted animals. Histologi cal analysis revealed acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-positive fibers and NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d)-positive neurons within transplanted tissue . These results suggest that human fetal striatum at a gestational age of 14 weeks may potentially be useful as a source of donor tissue for transplantation in the treatment of HD.