Brain tissue grafts in a rat model of Huntington's disease which involves damage to another part of the basal ganglia, the striatum. The normal early development of the striatum is being studied to understand which type of tissue is most suitable and efficacious as a graft. The connectivity of the striatal transplants and their functional effects on motor skills are also studied. These studies are performed either in rats with lesions of those cholinergic pathways involved in learning and memory, or in aged rats which exhibit age-related cognitive impairments. We are also testing neurotrophic factors and antioxidants in models of neuronal cell death in the substantia nigra and the striatum as well as on age-dependent impairments related to Alzheimer's disease.
Genetic engineering is used to express therapeutic genes in immature brain cells.
The genetically engineered cells are implanted into specific brain areas to stimulate functional recovery or to block neurodegenerative processes.