PRIMATE SCIENCE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
July 30, 1999
"Self-transplanted cells successful in treating Parkinson's monkeys"

Monkeys with induced Parkinson's disease regained partial control of their
movements and regained fine motor skills after the successful
transplantation of cells from tiny glands in their necks into their brains.

The cells, from the carotid bodies in the neck, are able to sense when
oxygen is running low, such as during a transplant procedure. This ability
somehow triggers them to produce a lot of dopamine after they are
transferred into the brain. The success was published in the journal Neuron
and reported in Science News April 2.

José López-Barneo, a physiologist at the University of Seville in Spain,
and his colleagues tested the treatment in cynomolgus macaques. They
transferred the cells to the putamen, an area of the brain damaged by
Parkinson's. The cells did not multiply, but they did survive to produce
significant amounts of dopamine. They also appeared to "jog" the brain back
into making its own dopamine.

The monkeys showed fewer tremors and striking gains in their abilities to
do tasks, the researchers reported in Science News. They were sacrificed
several months later to examine their brains. The researchers found that
more carotid body cells survived in this experiment than in any other
similar transplant with any species to date. The cells are activated when
oxygen is low--a trait that apparently helps them better withstand the
transplantation process.

"This therapeutic approach could also be applied to treat patients with
Parkinson's disease," the authors stated.

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Reference:

Luquin M.R., R.J. Montoro, J. Guillen, L. Saldise, R. Insausti, J. Del Rio,
J. Lopez-Barneo. 1999. Recovery of chronic Parkinsonian monkeys by
autotransplants of carotid body cell
aggregates into putamen. Neuron. Apr;22(4):743-50.


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Primate-Science Research Highlights appears every other week and focuses
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