Enhancement of survival of stored dopaminergic cells and promotion of graft survival by exposure of human fetal nigral tissue to glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in patients with Parkinson's disease - Report of two cases and technical considerations

The authors have studied the ability of glial cell line-derived neurotrophi c factor (GDNF) to promote survival of human fetal dopaminergic tissue afte r a storage period of 6 days and subsequent implantation into the human put amen. The results indicate that GDNF promotes survival of stored dopaminerg ic cells. Cells stored without GDNF had a 30.1% decrease in survival time c ompared with those exposed to GDNF. Two patients with Parkinson's disease r eceived bilateral putaminal implants of fetal dopaminergic cells exposed to GDNF for 6 days and showed enhancement of graft survival as assessed by po sitron emission tomography scanning. A mean increase of 107% in putaminal f luoro-dopa uptake from baseline values was observed 12 months postgrafting.