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