Cell Transplantation in the Central Nervous System

Abstract

Summary:

Neural transplantation has been a major field of research during the past 20 years. This concept is challenging because the central nervous system has a limited ability for self-repair. Fetal grafts have clearly shown that they can survive in the adult host brain and can restore some lost functions in neurologic disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, where a specific and limited population of neurons degenerate. However, major problems remain in the availability of donors and in the optimal survival of the grafted tissue. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms of graft survival and alternatives to reduce the amount of donors is needed before considering transplantation as an effective clinical therapy.