eye cell implants improve motor symptoms in parkinson patients
- From: "fresh~horses" <fresh~horses@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 9 Dec 2005 07:38:11 -0800
Eye Cell Implants Improve Motor Symptoms for Parkinson Patients
CHICAGO - A preliminary study suggests that implants of cells from the
human retina improved motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson
disease, and they appear to be safe and well tolerated, according to a
report in the December issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the
JAMA/Archives journals.
Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by
tremor, rigidity, postural instability, and slowed ability to start and
continue movements. Most patients with PD require therapy with the
medication levodopa to control symptoms three to five years after a
diagnosis of PD. However, disease progression and long-term oral
treatment with levodopa may lead to the development of motor
fluctuations and dyskinesias (difficulty or distortion in performing
voluntary movements). Human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells
produce levodopa and can be isolated from post mortem human eye tissue,
grown in culture, and implanted into the brain attached to
microcarriers. These implants have ameliorated the motor deficits in
animal models of Parkinson disease, according to background information
in the article. (The retinal pigment epithelium is the pigment cell
layer found in the inner layer of the retina of the eye.)
Natividad P. Stover, M.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham,
and colleagues conducted an open-label pilot study to evaluate the
effect of unilateral implantation of human RPE cells attached to
gelatin microcarriers. Six patients with advanced Parkinson disease
received cell implants, which were inserted into the brain tissue. The
researchers performed efficacy evaluations at one and three months
after surgery, and then at six, nine, 12, 15, 18 and 24 months. Yearly
follow-up visits are ongoing and will continue.
"The implants were well tolerated," the authors report. "We observed
an average improvement of 48 percent at 12 months after implantation in
the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor subscore with the
patient in the off state, which was sustained through 24 months."
"Improvement was also observed in activities of daily living, quality
of life, and motor fluctuations," they continue. "No off-state
dyskinesias were observed."
"On the basis of the motor improvement and tolerability observed in
this open-label study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
study has been initiated to more objectively test efficacy and continue
to assess safety," the authors conclude.
(Arch Neurol. 2005;62:1833-1837.)
.
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