SERTOLI-CELL TRANSPLANTS - THEIR USE IN THE TREATMENT OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE

The efficacy of treating neurodegenerative diseases with the transplan tation of fetal tissue has been demonstrated in animal models of Parki nson's disease, Huntington's disease and stroke. In the clinical setti ng, neural transplantation as a treatment for patients with Parkinson' s disease has shown promising results, However, for this treatment met hod to be effective neuronal survival needs to be improved through eit her trophic support or localized immunoprotection. Co-transplanting Se rtoli cells, which express many nutritive, regulatory, trophic and imm unosuppressive factors, with fetal neural cells could provide both of these requirements. Such a strategy could enhance the recovery benefit s associated with transplantation and decrease the need for, and the r isks associated with, long-term systemic immunosuppression.