Cell transplantation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease

Cell transplantation is an experimental therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD ) and other movement disorders. Several open-label research trials have sho wn clinically meaningful improvement in parkinsonian signs and symptoms aft er striatal transplantation of allogeneic fetal ventral mesencephalic (FVM) tissue. However, ethical concerns, variability in surgical techniques, and reports of unusual late complications in a few patients in a clinical tria l have limited the use of allogeneic FVM tissue to a few research centers. Research into alternative cell sources such as porcine FVM and allogeneic r etinal pigment epithelial cells has shown promising results in preclinical trials, and they are currently being tested in clinical trials. Novel strat egies to improve cell survival and to avoid immune rejection of transplants show promising results in preclinical trials. This article focuses on thes e recent advances and compares the potential clinical utility of these emer ging cell therapies for the treatment of advanced PD.