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Transplantation of embryonic porcine mesencephalic tissue in patients with PD. OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and the effect on standardized clinical rating measures of transplanted embryonic porcine ventral mesencephalic (VM) tissue in advanced PD. METHODS: 12 patients with idiopathic PD underwent unilateral implantation of embryonic porcine VM tissue; 6 received cyclosporine immunosuppression and 6 received tissue treated with a monoclonal antibody directed against major histocompatibility complex class I. Patients were followed for 12 months and assessed by clinical examination, MRI, and 18F-levodopa PET. Porcine endogenous retrovirus testing was conducted by PCR-based method on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. RESULTS: Cell implantation occurred without serious adverse events in all patients. Cultures were negative for bacterial and unknown viral contamination. No porcine endogenous retrovirus DNA sequences were found. MRI demonstrated cannula tracts within the putamen and caudate, with minimal or no edema and no mass effect at the transplant sites. In the medication-off state, total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale scores improved 19% (p = 0.01). 3 patients improved over 30%. There were 2 patients with improved gait. 18F-levodopa PET failed to show changes on the transplanted side. CONCLUSIONS: Unilateral transplantation of porcine embryonic VM cells into PD patients was well tolerated with no evidence of transmission of porcine endogenous retrovirus. Changes in standardized clinical PD rating measures were variable, similar to the results of the first trials of unilateral human embryonic allografts that transplanted small amounts of tissue. Neurology 2000 Mar 14;54(5):1042-50 Schumacher JM, Ellias SA, Palmer EP, Kott HS, Dinsmore J, Dempsey PK, Fischman AJ, Thomas C, Feldman RG, Kassissieh S, Raineri R, Manhart C, Penney D, Fink JS, Isacson O Lahey Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA. PMID: 10720272, UI: 20183214 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10720272&dopt=Abstract janet paterson 53 now / 41 dx / 37 onset a new voice: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/ 613 256 8340 PO Box 171 Almonte Ontario Canada K0A 1A0