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