| Human retina cell implants improved motor
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| | Natividad P. Stover, MD, of the
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| symptoms in a group of Parkinson's
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| | University of Alabama at Birmingham and
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| disease (PD) patients who participated in
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| | colleagues conducted an open-label pilot
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| a recent study, and they appeared to be
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| | study to evaluate the effect of
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| safe and well tolerated, according to a
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| | unilateral implantation of human RPE
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| report published in the Archives of
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| | cells attached to gelatin microcarriers.
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| Neurology.
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| | Six patients with advanced Parkinson's
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| Parkinson's disease is a
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| | disease received cell implants, which
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| neurodegenerative disorder characterized
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| | were inserted into the brain tissue. The
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| by tremor, rigidity, postural instability
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| | researchers performed efficacy
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| and slowed ability to start and continue
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| | evaluations at one and three months after
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| movements. Most patients with PD require
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| | surgery, and then at six, nine, 12, 15,
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| therapy with the medication levodopa to
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| | 18 and 24 months. Yearly follow-up visits
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| control symptoms three to five years
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| | are ongoing and will continue.
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| after a diagnosis of PD.
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| | "The implants were well tolerated," the
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| Motor Fluctuations
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| | authors report. "We observed an average
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| However, disease progression and
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| | improvement of 48 percent at 12 months
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| long-term oral treatment with levodopa
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| | after implantation in the Unified
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| may lead to the development of motor
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| | Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor
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| fluctuations and difficulty in performing
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| | subscore with the patient in the off
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| voluntary movements (dyskinesias).
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| | state, which was sustained through 24
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| Human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE)
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| | months."
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| cells produce levodopa and can be
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| | Quality of Life
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| isolated from post-mortem human eye
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| | "Improvement was also observed in
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| tissue, grown in culture, and implanted
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| | activities of daily living, quality of
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| into the brain attached to microcarriers.
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| | life and motor fluctuations. No off-state
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| (The retinal pigment epithelium is the
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| | dyskinesias were observed," they add.
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| pigment cell layer found in the inner
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| | "On the basis of the motor improvement
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| layer of the retina of the eye.)
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| | and tolerability observed in this
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| These implants have been shown to ease
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| | open-label study, a randomized,
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| motor problems in animal models of
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| | double-blind, placebo-controlled study
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| Parkinson's disease in earlier research,
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| | has been initiated to more objectively
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| according to the article.
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| | test efficacy and continue to assess
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| 48 Percent Improvement
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| | safety," the authors conclude.
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