Patent ID: 7115258

Claim:
A method for increasing dopamine levels in a mammal, said method comprising: (a) obtaining cells from the mammal; (b) transforming said cells with a first polynucleotide encoding L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) and a second polynucleotide encoding vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT) under conditions suitable for the expression of AADC and VMAT, wherein said polynucleotides each are under the transcriptional control of a promoter; and (c) implanting said transformed cells into said mammal; whereby AADC converts L-DOPA in vivo to dopamine and VMAT sequesters said dopamine in endosomes of said cells, which sequestered dopamine releases over a longer duration of time than from cells without storage of L-DOPA.