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            Fetal Pig Cells Transplanted Into Brains Of Parkinson's =
Patients

--------------------------------------------------------------------     =
      =20

--------------------------------------------------------------------     =
      =20
           =20
            PHILADELPHIA, PA -- April 16, 1998 -- For the first time in =
medical history, researchers have transplanted fetal brain cells from =
pigs into humans to treat a degenerative disease of the brain.
           =20
            Results of this research will be presented at the annual =
meeting of The American Association of Neurological Surgeons later this =
month in Philadelphia.
           =20

            This research marks the first time brain cells from an =
animal have been transplanted into a human. Investigators will present =
the one year follow-up data on 12 patients who have had moderate to =
severe Parkinson's Disease for an average of 13.9 years and received the =
treatment.
           =20

            "We are very excited about this research because our results =
have been positive and this method of treatment has the potential to =
help not only Parkinson's patients, but also patients with other =
degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's, Huntington's and Lou =
Gehrig's Diseases," said neurosurgeon James Schumacher, MD, who is the =
primary author of the paper.
           =20

            Parkinson's Disease affects over one million people in the =
United States and is characterized by tremor, slowness in movement, =
difficulty walking, balance problems, difficulty writing and holding =
objects.
           =20

            Parkinson's Disease is caused by a chemical imbalance in the =
brain. Normally, the substantia nigra part of the brain produces two =
chemicals, dopamine and acetylcholine, in equal amounts. These chemicals =
are called neurotransmitters and are sent to the striatum, another part =
of the brain, that controls movement and balance. When the body wants to =
make a movement, anything from walking to picking up a cup of coffee, =
the striatum releases these neurotransmitters through the nervous system =
to the appropriate muscles, producing smooth, coordinated movement =
within a fraction of a second.
           =20

            In Parkinson's Disease, the cells in the brain that produce =
dopamine begin to die, leading to an imbalance between the two =
neurotransmitters. This imbalance causes the shaking, hesitant movements =
that characterize Parkinsonian patients. Researchers do not know the =
cause of Parkinson's Disease.
           =20

            "Parkinson's Disease comes on slowly and at first may be as =
simple as an annoying shaking in the hands," said Douglas Kondziolka, =
MD, professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh and a =
leading expert in Parkinson's Disease treatment. "But as time goes on, =
patients cannot write, cannot drink from a glass and have great =
difficulty in producing the muscle movements needed to walk."
           =20

            Treatment for Parkinson's Disease traditionally has included =
medications to reduce the amount of acetylcholine in the brain or to =
force the remaining cells to produce more dopamine than normal to =
restore the balance. In recent years, surgical techniques such as =
pallidotomy, thalamotomy and deep brain stimulation, have significantly =
reduced the symptoms of Parkinson's in patients who did not respond to =
drug therapy or who have become resistant to the medications. These =
surgical procedures involve making lesions, or cuts, in specific parts =
of the brain in order to prevent the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, =
such as tremor.
           =20

            "With cell transplantation, instead of deconstructing, we =
are reconstructing," Dr. Schumacher said. "The cells we implant are =
actually producing dopamine and, therefore, are repairing the brain, not =
just the helping to rebalance neural activity."
           =20

            In cell transplantation, cells are taken from fetal, or =
unborn, developing, pigs and are transplanted into a human brain. These =
cells are primitive and are not fully developed.
           =20

            "The timing is extremely important," Dr. Schumacher said. =
"We need the cells to be primitive so they are not yet developing =
dopamine, but they have to be just about ready to start. At the point we =
take the cells, they have not yet been differentiated from human brain =
cells."
           =20

            Transplanting human fetal cells is also being studied, but =
the lack of availability of these cells have hampered these efforts. In =
Dr. Schumacher's research, both fetal pig cells and patients were =
treated with anti-rejection methods and no overt signs of rejection or =
untoward events have been seen.
           =20

            Heart valves from pigs have been used for human =
transplantation in the past with significant success and little =
rejection problems.
           =20

            "This research is a stepping stone and is something that we =
will continue to investigate more thoroughly over the next few years," =
Dr. Schumacher said.=20



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            <CENTER><FONT size=3D+2>Fetal Pig Cells Transplanted Into =
Brains Of=20
            Parkinson's Patients</FONT></CENTER>
            <HR align=3Dcenter SIZE=3D3 width=3D60%>

            <HR align=3Dcenter SIZE=3D3 width=3D30%>
            <BR>PHILADELPHIA, PA -- April 16, 1998 -- For the first time =
in=20
            medical history, researchers have transplanted fetal brain =
cells=20
            from pigs into humans to treat a degenerative disease of the =

            brain.<BR>
            <P>Results of this research will be presented at the annual =
meeting=20
            of The American Association of Neurological Surgeons later =
this=20
            month in Philadelphia.<BR>
            <P>This research marks the first time brain cells from an =
animal=20
            have been transplanted into a human. Investigators will =
present the=20
            one year follow-up data on 12 patients who have had moderate =
to=20
            severe Parkinson's Disease for an average of 13.9 years and =
received=20
            the treatment.<BR>
            <P>&quot;We are very excited about this research because our =
results=20
            have been positive and this method of treatment has the =
potential to=20
            help not only Parkinson's patients, but also patients with =
other=20
            degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's, Huntington's =
and Lou=20
            Gehrig's Diseases,&quot; said neurosurgeon James Schumacher, =
MD, who=20
            is the primary author of the paper.<BR>
            <P>Parkinson's Disease affects over one million people in =
the United=20
            States and is characterized by tremor, slowness in movement, =

            difficulty walking, balance problems, difficulty writing and =
holding=20
            objects.<BR>
            <P>Parkinson's Disease is caused by a chemical imbalance in =
the=20
            brain. Normally, the substantia nigra part of the brain =
produces two=20
            chemicals, dopamine and acetylcholine, in equal amounts. =
These=20
            chemicals are called neurotransmitters and are sent to the =
striatum,=20
            another part of the brain, that controls movement and =
balance. When=20
            the body wants to make a movement, anything from walking to =
picking=20
            up a cup of coffee, the striatum releases these =
neurotransmitters=20
            through the nervous system to the appropriate muscles, =
producing=20
            smooth, coordinated movement within a fraction of a =
second.<BR>
            <P>In Parkinson's Disease, the cells in the brain that =
produce=20
            dopamine begin to die, leading to an imbalance between the =
two=20
            neurotransmitters. This imbalance causes the shaking, =
hesitant=20
            movements that characterize Parkinsonian patients. =
Researchers do=20
            not know the cause of Parkinson's Disease.<BR>
            <P>&quot;Parkinson's Disease comes on slowly and at first =
may be as=20
            simple as an annoying shaking in the hands,&quot; said =
Douglas=20
            Kondziolka, MD, professor of neurosurgery at the University =
of=20
            Pittsburgh and a leading expert in Parkinson's Disease =
treatment.=20
            &quot;But as time goes on, patients cannot write, cannot =
drink from=20
            a glass and have great difficulty in producing the muscle =
movements=20
            needed to walk.&quot;<BR>
            <P>Treatment for Parkinson's Disease traditionally has =
included=20
            medications to reduce the amount of acetylcholine in the =
brain or to=20
            force the remaining cells to produce more dopamine than =
normal to=20
            restore the balance. In recent years, surgical techniques =
such as=20
            pallidotomy, thalamotomy and deep brain stimulation, have=20
            significantly reduced the symptoms of Parkinson's in =
patients who=20
            did not respond to drug therapy or who have become resistant =
to the=20
            medications. These surgical procedures involve making =
lesions, or=20
            cuts, in specific parts of the brain in order to prevent the =

            symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, such as tremor.<BR>
            <P>&quot;With cell transplantation, instead of =
deconstructing, we=20
            are reconstructing,&quot; Dr. Schumacher said. &quot;The =
cells we=20
            implant are actually producing dopamine and, therefore, are=20
            repairing the brain, not just the helping to rebalance =
neural=20
            activity.&quot;<BR>
            <P>In cell transplantation, cells are taken from fetal, or =
unborn,=20
            developing, pigs and are transplanted into a human brain. =
These=20
            cells are primitive and are not fully developed.<BR>
            <P>&quot;The timing is extremely important,&quot; Dr. =
Schumacher=20
            said. &quot;We need the cells to be primitive so they are =
not yet=20
            developing dopamine, but they have to be just about ready to =
start.=20
            At the point we take the cells, they have not yet been=20
            differentiated from human brain cells.&quot;<BR>
            <P>Transplanting human fetal cells is also being studied, =
but the=20
            lack of availability of these cells have hampered these =
efforts. In=20
            Dr. Schumacher's research, both fetal pig cells and patients =
were=20
            treated with anti-rejection methods and no overt signs of =
rejection=20
            or untoward events have been seen.<BR>
            <P>Heart valves from pigs have been used for human =
transplantation=20
            in the past with significant success and little rejection=20
            problems.<BR>
            <P>&quot;This research is a stepping stone and is something =
that we=20
            will continue to investigate more thoroughly over the next =
few=20
            years,&quot; Dr. Schumacher said.=20
            <P>
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