Abstract
Parkinson's disease—a neurodegenerative disorder—is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra that project to the neostriatum. Initial results from clinical trials have been encouraging; however, there is no consensus regarding the optimal choice of grafting site(s) to achieve clinical benefit, nor of optimal age of the donor tissue. Because reinnervation of the entire striatum is unlikely with tissue from a single donor, the distribution of the implanted tissue within a site(s) also may be of critical functional importance. The complex primate behavioral repertoire and the faithful elicitation of classic parkinsonian symptoms in primates provide a useful and reliable method for investigating the extent and nature of functional changes resulting from fetal tissue grafts. Although several questions remain to be resolved, including when to intervene surgically in the course of a progressive neurological disorder and whether a source of cells can be identified that eliminates the requirement for using human embryonic tissue, it is clear that methodology has been developed and tested to a degree that can potentially support the safe and effective use of this neurosurgical intervention in additional Parkinson's disease patients in the future.
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