Scientists at Harvard Medical School have found a way to safely transplant dopamine-producing brain nerve cells. Their discovery promises to be a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Research published in the journal Nature.
In Parkinson’s disease, there is a loss of brain neurons that produce dopamine, a substance responsible for memory, thinking and movement control. The current standard of care is dopamine replacement therapy. Although it has significant side effects, it eliminates some of the symptoms such as tremor and stiffness in the limbs.
Since the 1980s, it was assumed that dopamine neuron transplantation would greatly improve the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, but in most experiments the transplanted cells did not survive. In a new study, scientists experimenting with rodents found that the death of brain cells after transplantation is associated with a strong immune response.
Biologists have also found that co-transplantation with the host’s immune T cells can stop the death of neurons: they can not only stimulate inflammation but suppress it. This approach significantly increased the survival of neurons. Additionally, recovery of rodent behavior was faster and more reliable.
The results of the study can be applied to any cell therapy for other neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Huntington’s disease. Despite the success, scientists still need to test its development for safety in the future and fully understand how regulatory T cells improve the survival of neurons during transplantation.
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