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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fetal Tissue Grafts Improve Dopaminergic Function In Parkinson Patients ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WESTPORT, Jul 25 (Reuters) - A team of researchers from Sweden and the UK have found that dopaminergic and motor functions can be restored or improved in Parkinson disease (PD) patients after embryonic mesencephalic tissue transplantation. According to Dr. Olle Lindvall of University Hospital in Lund and colleagues there and in London, 6 patients had embryonic mesencephalic tissue grafted unilaterally into the putamen or putamen and caudate. The investigators followed the patients for 10 to 72 months following the procedure. "After 8 to 12 months, positron emission tomography showed a 68% increase of ...fluorodopa uptake in the grafted putamen, no change in the grafted caudate, and minor decreases in nongrafted striatal regions, " Dr. Lindvall reports in the July issue of Annals of Neurology. "There was therapeutically valuable improvement in [four] patients, but only modest changes in the other [two], both of whom developed atypical features." All patients experienced, during the first and second years after surgery, respectively, a 10% and 20% mean reduction in L-dopa requirement, a 34% and 44% reduction in "off time", an 18% and 26% reduction in the "off " phase Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score, and a 45% and 58% increase in the duration of the response to a single L-dopa dose following surgery. Dr. Lindvall notes that there was bilateral improvement in rigidity and hypokinesia, and that the greatest improvement was observed contralateral to the implant. The investigators say that although long-term survival of grafts (up to 6 years in one patient) was demonstrated in their study, "...continuing degeneration of the patient's own dopamine system could still limit the graft-derived improvement." Dr. Lindvall suggests a complete bilateral engraftment "...for optimal long-term functional recovery." Ann Neurol 1997;42:95-107. Westport Newsroom 230 319 2700 Copyright 1997 Reuters Limited. <http://www.reutershealth.com/news/docs/199707/19970725clc.html> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [log in to unmask]