Our laboratory has demonstrated that embryonic neurons can be grafted successfully into specific brain sites in non-human primates that serve as animal models for Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is characterized by a marked loss of motor skills, resting tremor, rigidity and hypokinesia clinically, and is produced because of the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra. This neurological disorder affects about 60,000 Americans annually. Grafting embryonic dopamine-producing neurons into monkey brain has resulted in a complete reversal of the clinical symptoms of the disease. In a long-standing collaboration with neuroscientists at Yale Medical School, we have found that embryonic neurons survive the grafting procedure, grow into the damaged host brain, and supply a new source of dopamine which produces recovery from the induced Parkinson's disease.
Behavioral recovery is complete and permanent.
This same procedure now has proven to be successful in humans. We are continuing these studies using computer-based image analysis to more fully understand the potential of this approach for treating Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders in humans. J.R. Sladek , Jr. 1997. Co-grafted embryonic striatum increases the survival of grafted embryonic dopamine neurons. T. J. Collier, J.D. Elsworth, R. H. Roth, J.R. Taylor and D.E. Redmond, Jr. 1998.