Open AccessHuman Embryonic Stem Cell‐Derived Dopaminergic Neurons Reverse Functional Deficit in Parkinsonian Rats
Author(s) -
Yang Dali,
Zhang ZhiJian,
Oldenburg Michael,
Ayala Melvin,
Zhang SuChun
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
stem cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.159
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1549-4918
pISSN - 1066-5099
DOI - 10.1634/stemcells.2007-0494
Subject(s) - biology , dopamine , dopaminergic , embryonic stem cell , midbrain , striatum , forebrain , neuroscience , oxidopamine , stem cell , substantia nigra , transplantation , progenitor cell , microbiology and biotechnology , neurotoxin , endocrinology , medicine , central nervous system , gene , biochemistry
We show that human embryonic stem cell‐derived dopaminergic neurons survived transplantation to the neurotoxin 6‐hydroxydopamine‐lesioned rat striatum and, in combination with the cells newly differentiated from their progenitors, contributed to locomotive function recovery at 5 months. The animal behavioral improvement was correlated with the dopamine neurons present in the graft. Although the donor cells contained forebrain and midbrain dopamine neurons, the dopamine neurons present in the graft mainly exhibited a midbrain, or nigra, phenotype, suggesting the importance of midbrain dopamine neurons in functional repair. Furthermore, progenies of grafted cells were neurons and glia with greatly diminished mitotic activity by 5 months. Thus, the in vitro‐produced human dopamine neurons can functionally engraft in the brain. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.