Dopamine turnover and metabolism in the striatum of parkinsonian rats grafted with genetically-modified human astrocytes

Brain Transplantation of Neural Stem Cells Cotransduced with Tyrosine Hydroxylase and GTP Cyclohydrolase 1 in Parkinsonian Rats

Neural stem cells (NSCs) of the central nervous system (CNS) recently have attracted a great deal of interest not only because of their importance in basic research on neural development, but also in terms of their therapeutic potential in neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). To examine if genetically modified NSCs are a suitable source for the cell and gene therapy of PD, an immortalized mouse NSC line, C17.2, was transduced with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene and with GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (GTPCH1) gene, which are important enzymes in dopamine biosynthesis. The expression of TH in transduced C17.2-THGC cells was confirmed by RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunocytochemistry, and expression of GTPCH1 by RT-PCR. The level of L-DOPA released by C17.2-THGC cells, as determined by HPLC assay, was 3793 pmol/106 cells, which is 760-fold higher than that produced by C17.2-TH cells, indicating that GTPCH1 expression is important for L-DOPA production by transduced C17.2 cells. Following the implantation of C17.2-THGcC NSCs into the striata of parkinsonian rats, a marked improvement in amphetamine-induced turning behavior was observed in parkinsonian rats grafted with C17.2-THGC cells but not in the control rats grafted with C17.2 cells. These results indicate that genetically modified NSCs grafted into the brain of the parkinsonian rats are capable of survival, migration, and neuronal differentiation. Collectively, these results suggest that NSCs have great potential as a source of cells for cell therapy and an effective vehicle for therapeutic gene transfer in Parkinson's disease.

Interrogating the aged striatum: robust survival of grafted dopamine neurons in aging rats produces inferior behavioral recovery and evidence of impaired integration

Advanced age is the primary risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). In PD patients and rodent models of PD, advanced age is associated with inferior symptomatic benefit following intrastriatal grafting of embryonic dopamine (DA) neurons, a pattern believed to result from decreased survival and reinnervation provided by grafted neurons in the aged host. To help understand the capacity of the aged, parkinsonian striatum to be remodeled with new DA terminals, we used a grafting model and examined whether increasing the number of grafted DA neurons in aged rats would translate to enhanced behavioral recovery. Young (3months), middle-aged (15months), and aged (22months) parkinsonian rats were grafted with proportionately increasing numbers of embryonic ventral mesencephalic (VM) cells to evaluate whether the limitations of the graft environment in subjects of advancing age can be offset by increased numbers of transplanted neurons. Despite robust survival of grafted neurons in aged rats, reinnervation of striatal neurons remained inferior and amelioration of levodopa-induced dyskinesias (LID) was delayed or absent. This study demonstrates that: 1) counter to previous evidence, under certain conditions the aged striatum can support robust survival of grafted DA neurons; and 2) unknown factors associated with the aged striatum result in inferior integration of graft and host, and continue to present obstacles to full therapeutic efficacy of DA cell-based therapy in this model of aging.

Trophic factor gene therapy for Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder for which there is presently no cure. Pharmacological remedies targeting the dopaminergic network are relatively effective at ameliorating motor deficits, especially in the early stages of the disease, but none of these therapies are curative and many generate their own problems. Recent advances in PD research have demonstrated that gene delivery of trophic factors, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and neurturin, in particular, can provide structural and functional recovery in rodent and nonhuman primate models of PD. Similar success has been gleaned in open-label clinical trials, although this has yet to be realized in double-blinded analyses. This work reviews the field of trophic factor gene delivery for PD.

Stem cells from human-exfoliated deciduous teeth can differentiate into dopaminergic neuron-like cells

Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) have been identified as a novel population of postnatal stem cells capable of differentiating into neural cells, odontogenic cells, and adipocytes. SHED were reported to differentiate into neural cells based on cellular morphology and the expression of early neuronal markers when cultured under neural inductive conditions. This study therefore investigated the therapeutic efficacy of SHED in alleviating Parkinson's disease (PD) in a rat model. We found that SHED could be induced to form neural-like spheres in a medium optimized for neural stem cells in vitro. After incubation with a cocktail of cytokines including sonic hedgehog, fibroblast growth factor 8, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, and forskolin, these SHED-derived spheres further differentiated into a cell population that contained specific dopaminergic neurons. Moreover, transplantation of SHED spheres into the striatum of parkinsonian rats partially improved the apomorphine-evoked rotation of behavorial disorders compared to transplantation of control SHED. Our data indicate that SHED, potentially derived from neural crest cells, may be an optimal source of postnatal stem cells for PD treatment.

Gazing into the future: Parkinson's disease gene therapeutics to modify natural history

PD gene therapy clinical trials have primarily focused on increasing the production of dopamine (DA) through supplemental amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) expression, neurotrophic support for surviving dopaminergic neurons (DAN) or altering brain circuitry to compensate for DA neuron loss. The future of PD gene therapy will depend upon resolving a number of important issues that are discussed in this special issue. Of particular importance is the identification of novel targets that are amenable to early intervention prior to the substantial loss of DAN. However, for the most part the etiopathogenesis of PD is unknown making early intervention a challenge and the development of early biomarker diagnostics imperative.

Integration of genetically modified adult astrocytes into the lesioned rat spinal cord

Combination of ex vivo gene transfer and cell transplantation is now considered as a potentially useful strategy for the treatment of spinal cord injury. In a perspective of clinical application, autologous transplantation could be an option of choice. We analyzed the fate of adult rat cortical astrocytes genetically engineered with a lentiviral vector transplanted into a lesioned rat spinal cord. Cultures of adult rat cortical astrocytes were infected with an HIV-1-derived vector (TRIP-CMV-GFP) and labeled with the fluorescent dye Hoechst. Transfected and labeled astrocyte suspension was injected at T11 in rats in which spinal cord transection at T7-T8 levels had been carried out 1 week earlier. Six weeks after grafting, the animals were sacrificed and transplants were retrieved either by Hoechst fluorescence or by immunohistochemistry for detection of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin. Grafted astrocytes expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) were found both at the injection and transection sites. Genetically modified astrocytes thus survived, integrated, and migrated within the host parenchyma when grafted into the completely transected rat spinal cord. In addition, they retained some ability to express the GFP transgene for at least 6 weeks after transplantation. Adult astrocytes infected with lentiviral vectors can therefore be a valuable tool for the delivery of therapeutic factors into the lesioned spinal cord.

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor-conjugated nanoparticles suppress acquisition of cocaine self-administration in rats

The neurotrophic factor glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) may have therapeutic potential for preventing and treating cocaine addiction. Previously, we found that transplantation of a GDNF-expressing astrocyte cell line into the striatum and nucleus accumbens attenuates cocaine-seeking behavior in Sprague-Dawley rats. However, as a potential treatment for humans, cell transplantation presents several technical and ethical complications. Nanoparticulate systems are a safe and effective method for introducing exogenous compounds into the brain. Therefore, we examined the effect of GDNF-conjugated nanoparticles microinjected into the striatum and nucleus accumbens on cocaine self-administration in rats. GDNF-conjugated nanoparticles blocked the acquisition of cocaine self-administration compared to control treatments. Furthermore, a cocaine dose response demonstrated that decreased lever response in rats that received GDNF-conjugated nanoparticles persisted after substitution with different cocaine doses. This effect is not due to a non-specific disruption of locomotor or operant behavior, as seen following a water operant task. The current study is one of the first demonstrations that drug-conjugated nanoparticles may be effective in treating brain disorders. These findings suggest that GDNF-conjugated nanoparticles may serve as a novel potential treatment for drug addiction.

Cellular vehicles for cancer gene therapy: current status and future potential

Cancer is a difficult target for any therapeutic strategy; therefore, there is a continuous search for new therapeutic modalities, for application either alone or in combination. In this regard, gene-based therapy is a new approach that offers hope of improved control of tumors. Intensive research to apply gene therapy for cancer treatment has led to identification of the most important technical and theoretical barriers that need to be overcome for clinical success. One of the central unresolved challenges remains the issue of specific and efficient delivery of genes to target cells or tissues, emphasizing the importance of the gene carrier. Along with different viral and non-viral vector systems, mammalian cells have also been considered as vehicles for delivery of anti-cancer therapeutics. The cell-based delivery approach was introduced as the first attempt to apply gene therapy to cancer treatment, and in general, has followed most of the ups and downs of gene therapy applications, progressing alongside new knowledge gained in this field. As a result, significant progress has been made in some aspects of the cell-based approach, while the development of other essential issues is only just gaining speed. It appears that the initial phase of development of cell-based protocols - the achievement of efficient ex vivo cell loading with therapeutics - has largely been fulfilled. However, the desired efficacy of cell-based strategies in general has not yet been reached, and specificity of tumor homing needs to be improved considerably. There is hope that advances in related scientific fields will promote the utilization of cells as powerful and versatile vehicles for cancer gene therapy.

Distinct efficacy of pre-differentiated versus intact fetal mesencephalon-derived human neural progenitor cells in alleviating rat model of Parkinson's disease

Neural progenitor cells have shown the effectiveness in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, but the therapeutic efficacy remains variable. One of important factors that determine the efficacy is the necessity of pre-differentiation of progenitor cells into dopaminergic neurons before transplantation. This study therefore investigated the therapeutic efficacy of mesencephalon-derived human neural progenitor cells with or without the pre-differentiation in alleviating a rat model of Parkinson's disease. We found that a combination of 50 ng/ml fibroblast growth factor 8, 10 ng/ml glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and 10 microM forskolin facilitated the differentiation of human fetal mesencephalic progenitor cells into dopaminergic neurons in vitro. More importantly, after transplanted into the striatum of parkinsonian rats, only pre-differentiated grafts resulted in an elevated production of dopamine in the transplanted site and the amelioration of behavioral impairments of the parkinsonian rats. Unlike pre-differentiated progenitors, grafted intact progenitors rarely differentiated into dopaminergic neurons in vivo and emigrated actively away from the transplanted site. These data demonstrates the importance of pre-differentiation of human progenitor cells before transplantation in enhancing therapeutic potency for Parkinson's disease.

Gene therapy in Parkinson?s disease

Gene therapy in Parkinson's disease appears to be at the brink of the clinical study phase. Future gene therapy protocols will be based on a substantial amount of preclinical data regarding the use of ex vivo and in vivo genetic modifications with the help of viral or non-viral vectors. To date, the supplementation of neurotrophic factors and substitution for the dopaminergic deficit have formed the focus of trials to achieve relief in animal models of Parkinson's disease. Newer approaches include attempts to influence detrimental cell signalling pathways and to inhibit overactive basal ganglia structures. Nevertheless, current models of Parkinson's disease do not mirror all aspects of the human disease, and important issues with respect to long-term protein expression, choice of target structures and transgenes and safety remain to be solved. Here, we thoroughly review available animal data of gene transfer in models of Parkinson's disease.

Effect of experimenter-delivered and self-administered cocaine on extracellular beta-endorphin levels in the nucleus accumbens

Beta-endorphin is an endogenous opioid peptide that has been hypothesized to be involved in the behavioral effects of drugs of abuse including psychostimulants. Using microdialysis, we studied the effect of cocaine on extracellular levels of beta-endorphin in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region involved in the reinforcing effects of psychostimulant drugs. Experimenter-delivered cocaine (2 mg/kg, i.v.) increased extracellular beta-endorphin immunoreactive levels in the nucleus accumbens, an effect attenuated by 6-hydroxy-dopamine lesions or systemic administration of the D1-like receptor antagonist, SCH-23390 (0.25 mg/kg, i.p.). The effect of cocaine on beta-endorphin release in the nucleus accumbens was mimicked by a local perfusion of dopamine (5 microm) and was blocked by coadministration of SCH-23390 (10 microm). Self-administered cocaine (1 mg/kg/infusion, i.v.) also increased extracellular beta-endorphin levels in the nucleus accumbens. In addition, using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we found that cocaine (1 mg/kg, i.v.) increases regional brain activity in the nucleus accumbens and arcuate nucleus. We demonstrate an increase in beta-endorphin release in the nucleus accumbens following experimenter-delivered and self-administered cocaine mediated by the local dopaminergic system. These findings suggest that activation of the beta-endorphin neurons within the arcuate nucleus-nucleus accumbens pathway may be important in the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the behavioral effects of cocaine.

Semi-micro liquid chromatography of aromatic amino acid metabolites using isocratic elution and column switching

The concentrations of catecholamine-related compounds in body fluids reflect sympathetic nerve functions. Measuring the enzyme activity of these metabolic pathways will improve diagnosis since a variety of symptoms are reported. An isocratic elution system with two column switching valves was developed using three types of semi-micro columns for fast chromatographic analysis of catecholamine related compounds. Columns are a pentyl-bonded phase, 50 x 2.1 mm i.d., a phenylhexyl-bonded phase, 100 x 2.1 mm i.d. and an octadecyl-bonded phase, 100 x 2.1 mm i.d. The separation of 20 standard compounds was achieved within 25 min using reversed-phase ion-pair liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector. This new system was applied for analysis of catecholamine-related compounds in pig brain, since pigs are a widely used animal model for transgenic manipulation of neural genes, and MHPG (or VMA), DOPAC, DOPA, NE, EP, DA, 5HTP and 5HIAA were quantified.

Syngeneic central nervous system transplantation of genetically transduced mature, adult astrocytes

Advances in the development of highly infectious, replication-deficient recombinant retroviruses provide an efficient means of stable transfer of gene expression. Coupled with ex vivo transduction, surrogate cell populations can be readily implanted into the brain, thus serving as vehicles for delivering selected gene products into the central nervous system (CNS). Here we report that rat astrocytes can be routinely and safely isolated from brain tissue of a living donor by use of short-term gelatin sponge implants. The mature, nontransformed astrocytes were easily expanded, maintained in long-term tissue cultures and were efficiently transduced with an amphotropic retrovirus harboring a heterologous, fused transgene. In vitro retroviral infection rendered the nontransformed cells essentially 100% viable after exposure. The level of efficiency of infection (30-50% effective genome integration of provirus and expression of transgene in target cell populations) and minimal cell toxicity obviated the need to harvest large numbers of target cells. Cultured transduced astrocytes were resilient and exhibited select peptide expression for up to 1 year. Subsequently, transduced astrocytes were used in a series of experiments in which cells were transplanted intracerebrally in syngeneic animals. Post-implantation, astrocytes seeded locally and either insinuated into the surrounding parenchyma in situ or exhibited a variable degree of migration, depending on the anatomic source of astrocytes and the targeted brain implantation site. Transduced astrocytes remained viable in excess of 8 months post-transplantation and exhibited sustained transgenic peptide expression of green fluorescent protein/neomycin phosphotransferase in vivo. The sequential isolation and culture of nontransformed, mature, adult astrocytes and recombinant retrovirus-mediated transduction in vitro followed by brain reimplantation represents a safe and effective means for transferring genetic expression to the CNS. This study lays the foundation for exploring the utility of using a human autologous transplantation system as a potential gene delivery approach to treat neurological disorders. Prepared and utilized in this manner, autologous astrocytes may serve as a vehicle to deliver gene therapy to the CNS.

Betalains of Celosia argentea

The betalains of yellow, orange and red inflorescences of common cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. cristata) were compared and proved to be qualitatively identical to those of feathered amaranth (Celosia argentea var. plumosa). In addition to the known compounds amaranthin and betalamic acid, the structures of three yellow pigments were elucidated to be immonium conjugates of betalamic acid with dopamine, 3-methoxytyramine and (S)-tryptophan by various spectroscopic techniques and comparison to synthesized reference compounds; the latter two are new to plants. Among the betacyanins occurring in yellow inflorescences in trace amounts, the presence of 2-descarboxy-betanidin, a dopamine-derived betacyanin, has been ascertained. The detection of high dopamine concentration may be of toxicological relevance in use of yellow inflorescences as a vegetable and in traditional Chinese medicine, common uses for the red inflorescences of common cockscomb.

Cerebral resuscitation after traumatic brain injury and cardiopulmonary arrest in infants and children in the new millennium

As outlined in Figure 1, it is likely that a series of interventions beginning in the field and continuing through the emergency department, ICU, rehabilitation center, and possibly beyond, will be needed to optimize clinical outcome after severe TBI or asphyxial CA in infants and children. Despite the many differences between these two important pediatric insults, it is likely that many of the therapies targeting neuronal death, in either condition, will need to be administered early after the insult, possibly at the injury scene. Even cerebral swelling, a pathophysiologic derangement routinely treated in the PICU, almost certainly is better prevented rather than treated. Finally, this review includes, for one of the first times, a brief discussion of additional horizons in the management of patients with severe brain injury, namely, manipulation of the injured circuitry and stimulation of regeneration. Further research is needed to define better the pathobiology of these two important conditions at the bedside, to understand the optimal application of contemporary therapies, and to develop and apply novel therapies. The tools necessary to carry out these studies are materializing, although the obstacles are great. This difficult but important challenge awaits further investigation by clinician-scientists in pediatric neurointensive care.

Limbic dopaminergic adaptation to a stressful stimulus in a rat model of depression

The dopaminergic mesolimbic system has a key role in motivation and reward, and stressful stimuli appear to alter its functionality. Since stress is considered to be one of the primary factors that mediate the expression of depressive behavior, dopamine and its metabolites in the nucleus accumbens of control and Flinders Sensitive Line rats, an animal model of depression, were examined prior to and after a forced swim test. In both types of rats, the levels of dopamine metabolites markedly decreased after the forced swimming, albeit to different extents. In contrast, 60 min after the swim test, dopamine levels were elevated only in the control rats. The accumbal dopaminergic activity is discussed in relation to the behavior of 'depressed' and normal rat lines subjected to a stressful event.

Dopamine increases glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in human fetal astrocytes

The use of fetal astrocytes for gene delivery into brains with neurodegenerative diseases has been suggested. Therefore, the effects of neurotransmitters in the brain on such cells are of interest. The presence of D1(D1A) receptors and the effect of dopamine on a fetal human astrocyte cell line (SVG cells) in vitro were examined. SVG cells expressed D1(D(1A)), but not D5(D1B) receptors, as shown by RT-PCR. Exposure to dopamine, apomorphine, and the specific D1 agonist, SKF-38393, increased glial-derived neurotrophic factor production of SVG cells, as well as intracellular free calcium. Exposure to the specific D1 antagonist, SCH 23390, blocked these effects. Thus, if implanted into a brain region rich in dopamine, or if transfected with the tyrosine hydroxylase gene, fetal astrocytes may serve as paracrine/autocrine cells capable of supplying critical growth factors to diseased brain tissue.

The physiopathological significance of ceruloplasmin. A possible therapeutic approach

This article reviews and comments on the physiological roles of ceruloplasmin (Cp). We show that, in addition to its ascertained involvement in iron homeostasis, the protein, by virtue of its unique structure among multicopper oxidases, is likely involved in other processes of both an enzymatic and a nonenzymatic nature. In particular, based on the analysis of the kinetic parameters, on the one hand, and of the side-products of the oxidation, on the other, we propose that the long-recognized ability of Cp to interact with and oxidize non-iron substrates may be of physiological relevance. The striking example of 6-hydroxydopamine oxidation is presented, where we show that the catalytic action is carried out readily under physiological conditions, without release of potentially toxic oxygen intermediates.

Cellular transplants as sources for therapeutic agents

Soluble factors normally produced by cells of the human body are of increasing importance as potential therapeutic agents. Although considerable progress has been made in understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of disease, in developing animal models and newer experimental therapeutics, few discoveries have been translated into clinically effective ways of delivering the multiple therapeutic agents obtained from living mammalian cells. This review examines the use of transplanted cells as alternatives to conventional delivery systems to deliver a variety of protein based therapeutic agents. The chapter begins with a set of questions to establish the complexity and challenges of this form of drug delivery. The following section focuses the discussion on our understanding of genetic engineering, tissue engineering, and some areas of developmental biology as they relate to the development of this nascent field. Much of the discussion has a neuro/endocrine emphasis. The chapter ends by listing the basic ingredients needed to push the use of transplanted cells toward medical practice and some general comments about future developments.

Long-term, EGF-stimulated cultures of attached GFAP-positive cells derived from the embryonic mouse lateral ganglionic eminence: in vitro and transplantation studies

Long-term attached cultures, prepared from mouse embryonic days 15-17 lateral ganglionic eminence, were grown in a medium including epidermal growth factor and serum, and the survival, differentiation, and migration of cells from either early or late passages were analyzed following transplantation. The cultured cells had the morphology of type I astroglial cells, with the vast majority of the cells immunoreactive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (around 90%), the intermediate filament marker nestin, and also the mouse-specific neural markers M2 and M6. The cultures were kept over 25 passages (7 months). During the first 8 passages, the growth rate gradually declined, but it increased again after passage 9 and thereafter stabilized at values similar to those observed during the initial culture period. After passages 4-6 and 18, cell suspensions were implanted cross-species into the intact or lesioned striatum of adult (passages 4-5 only) or intact striatum of neonatal rats (passages 4-6 or 18). Both early and late passage cells formed M2 (and M6)-positive transplants. In the neonatal recipients, widespread migration was seen from the needle tract throughout most of the striatum, along the internal capsule, and into the globus pallidus. In the adult striatum, the cells remained mostly around the injection tract, or within 0.4-0.6 mm from the graft core. These long-term attached cultures are interesting to compare to nonattached neurosphere cultures, and might also offer a means of propagating relatively pure populations of astroglia-like cells for basic transplantation studies or for use in experimental trials with ex vivo gene transfer.

Intrastriatal and intranigral grafting of hNT neurons in the 6-OHDA rat model of Parkinson's disease

The clinical findings on neural transplantation for Parkinson's disease (PD) reported thus far are promising but many issues must be addressed before neural transplantation can be considered a routine therapeutic option for PD. The future of neural transplantation for the treatment of neurological disorders may rest in the discovery of a suitable alternative cell type for fetal tissue. One such alternative may be neurons derived from a human teratocarcinoma (hNT). hNT neurons have been shown to survive and integrate within the host brain following transplantation and provide functional recovery in animal models of stroke and Huntington's disease. In this study, we describe the transplantation of hNT neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and striatum of the rat model for PD. Twenty-seven rats were grafted with one of three hNT neuronal products; hNT neurons, hNT-DA neurons, or lithium chloride (LiCl) pretreated hNT-DA neurons. Robust hNT grafts could be seen with anti-neural cell adhesion molecule and anti-neuron-specific enolase immunostaining. Immunostaining for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression revealed no TH-immunoreactive (THir) neurons in any animals with hNT neuronal grafts. THir cells were observed in 43% of animals with hNT-DA neuronal grafts and all animals with LiCl pretreated hNT-DA neuronal grafts (100%). The number of THir neurons in these animals was low and not sufficient to produce significant functional recovery. In summary, this study has demonstrated that hNT neurons survive transplantation and express TH in the striatum and SN. Although hNT neurons are promising as an alternative to fetal tissue and may have potential clinical applications in the future, further improvements in enhancing TH expression are needed.

Neural transplantation cannula and microinjector system: experimental and clinical experience. Technical note

The authors present a simple, reliable, and safe system for performing neural transplantation in the human brain. The device consists of a transplantation cannula and microinjector system that has been specifically designed to reduce implantation-related trauma and to maximize the number of graft deposits per injection. The system was evaluated first in an experimental rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD). Animals in which transplantation with this system had been performed showed excellent graft survival with minimal trauma to the brain. Following this experimental stage, the cannula and microinjector system were used in eight patients with PD enrolled in the Halifax Neural Transplantation Program who received bilateral putaminal transplants of fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue. A total of 16 transplantation operations and 64 trajectories were performed in the eight patients, and there were no intraoperative or perioperative complications. Magnetic resonance imaging studies obtained 24 hours after surgery revealed no evidence of tissue damage or hemorrhage. Transplant survival was confirmed by fluorodopa positron emission tomography scans obtained 6 and 12 months after surgery. As neural transplantation procedures for the treatment of neurological conditions evolve, the ability to deliver viable grafts safely will become critically important. The device presented here has proved to be of value in maximizing the number of graft deposits while minimizing implantation-related trauma to the host brain.

Gene therapy for chronic relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis using cells expressing a novel soluble p75 dimeric TNF receptor

In a murine relapsing experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) model, gene therapy to block TNF was investigated with the use of a retroviral dimeric p75 TNF receptor (dTNFR) construct. To effectively produce these TNF inhibitors in vivo, a conditionally immortalized syngeneic fibroblast line was established, using a temperature-sensitive SV40 large T Ag-expressing retrovirus. These cells were subsequently infected with a retrovirus expressing soluble dTNFR. CNS-injected cells could be detected 3 mo after transplantation and were shown to produce the transgene product by immunocytochemistry and ELISA of tissue fluids. These levels of dTNFR protein were biologically active and could significantly ameliorate both acute and relapsing EAE. This cell-based gene-vector approach is ideal for delivering proteins to the CNS and has particular relevance to the control of inflammatory CNS disease.

Effect of acute L-Dopa pretreatment on apomorphine-induced rotational behavior in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

Currently, reduction of apomorphine-induced rotational behavior in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rat is the most utilized drug-induced paradigm for assessing functional efficacy in a rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD). Any clinically predictive animal model of PD should include a positive response to l-dopa, the standard pharmacotherapy for PD. However, the acute interaction between L-dopa and apomorphine has never been studied to determine if L-dopa pretreatment could reduce apomorphine-induced rotational behavior in a 6-OHDA lesioned rat. The present study was designed to explore whether, indeed, pretreatment with subrotational doses of L-dopa could inhibit apomorphine-induced rotations. The data indicate that L-dopa significantly reduced apomorphine-induced rotational behavior only at one dose (5.0 mg/kg) for 12 min. Based on these and other data, it is concluded that although the apomorphine-induced rotational paradigm may continue to be utilized as one additional indicator of efficacy in the 6-OHDA rat model of PD, it is not in itself a completely valid functional assay.

Gene therapy in the CNS

Gene therapy for neurological disorder is currently an experimental concept. The goals for clinical utilization are the relief of symptoms, slowing of disease progression, and correction of genetic abnormalities. Experimental studies are realizing these goals in the development of gene therapies in animal models. Discoveries of the molecular basis of neurological disease and advances in gene transfer systems have allowed focal and global delivery of therapeutic genes for a wide variety of CNS disorders. Limitations are still apparent, such as stability and regulation of transgene expression, and safety of both vector and expressed transgene. In addition, the brain adds several challenges not seen in peripheral gene therapy paradigms, such as post-mitotic cells, heterogeneity of cell types and circuits, and limited access. Moreover, it is likely that several modes of gene delivery will be necessary for successful gene therapies of the CNS. Collaborative efforts between clinicians and basic researchers will likely yield effective gene therapy in the CNS.

Astrocyte line SVG-TH grafted in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

The present review describes gene transfer into the brain using extraneuronal cells with an ex vivo approach. The mild immunological reactions in the central nervous system to grafts provided the rationale and empirical basis for brain-transplantation, to replace dying cells, of potential clinical relevance. Fetal human astrocytes were genetically engineered to express tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme for the synthesis of catecholamines. These cells were also found to produce constitutively and secrete GDNF and interleukins. Therefore, these cells may prove as a drug-delivery system for the treatment of neurological degenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease (PD). The field of neuronal reconstruction has reached a critical threshold and there is a need to evaluate the variables that will become critical as the field matures. One of the needs is to characterize the neurochemical alterations in the microenvironment in the context of grafted-host connectivity. This review discusses the functional effects of the pharmacologically-active construct, which consists of astrocytes producing L-DOPA and GDNF. The striatum in PD that lacks the dopaminergic projection from the substantia nigra metabolizes and releases dopamine differently from normal tissue and may react to different factors released by the grafted cells. Moreover, neurochemicals of the host tissue may effect grafted cells as well. An understanding of the way in which these neurochemicals are abnormal in PD and their role in the grafted brain is critical to the improvement of reconstructive strategies using cellular therapeutic strategies.

A neural transplantation cannula and microinjector system: experimental and clinical experience

The authors present a simple, reliable, and safe system for performing neural transplantation in the human brain. The device consists of a transplantation cannula and microinjector system that has been specifically designed to reduce implantation-related trauma and to maximize the number of graft deposits for each injection. The system was evaluated first in an experimental rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD). Animal transplantation with this system showed excellent graft survival with minimal trauma to the brain. Following this experimental stage, the cannula and microinjector system was used in eight patients with PD enrolled in the Halifax Neural Transplantation Program who received bilateral putaminal transplants of fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue. A total of 16 transplantation operations and 64 trajectories were performed in the eight patients, and there were no intra- or perioperative complications. Magnetic resonance imaging studies obtained 24 hours after surgery revealed no evidence of tissue damage or hemorrhage. Transplant survival was confirmed on fluorodopa positron emission tomography scans 6 and 12 months after surgery.

As neural transplantation procedures for the treatment of neurological conditions evolve, the ability to deliver viable grafts safely will become of critical importance. The device presented here has been proven to be of value in maximizing the number of graft deposits while minimizing implantation-related trauma to the host brain.