Lewy body-like pathology in long-term embryonic nigral transplants in Parkinson's disease

Nat Med. 2008 May;14(5):504-6. doi: 10.1038/nm1747. Epub 2008 Apr 6.

Abstract

Fourteen years after transplantation into the striatum of an individual with Parkinson's disease, grafted nigral neurons were found to have Lewy body-like inclusions that stained positively for alpha-synuclein and ubiquitin and to have reduced immunostaining for dopamine transporter. These pathological changes suggest that Parkinson's disease is an ongoing process that can affect grafted cells in the striatum in a manner similar to host dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra. These findings have implications for cell-based therapies and for understanding the cause of Parkinson's disease.

MeSH terms

  • Brain Tissue Transplantation / methods
  • Brain Tissue Transplantation / pathology*
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Fetal Tissue Transplantation / methods
  • Fetal Tissue Transplantation / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lewy Bodies / metabolism
  • Lewy Bodies / pathology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Parkinson Disease / therapy*
  • Substantia Nigra / pathology
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ubiquitin / metabolism
  • alpha-Synuclein / metabolism

Substances

  • Ubiquitin
  • alpha-Synuclein