[Gene and gene cellular therapy and neurodegenerative diseases]

The modern methods of the treatment of the neurodegenerative diseases are considered. Neurodegenerative diseases originate due to the degeneration of the neuronal cells of central nervous system that leads to imbalance of the neurotransmitter synthesis and, as a consequence, movement disorders and mental disabilities. Traditional methods of pharmacotherapy and neurosurgery give short-term effect. Since 1980 neurotransplantation was developed as a new technology for the treatment of the neurodegenerative diseases. This approach represents a case of cell therapy being used for transplantation of the human fetal material. Cell transplantation compensates the local deficiency of the neurotransmitter level by substitution of degenerated neurons of patient's brain (e.g. dopaminergic neurons). Gene-cell conjunction of cell therapy with modification of genome of transplanted cells is the most perspective approach to increase an efficiency of neurotransplantation. Short description of gene therapy approaches and a search for optimal gene-cell protocols for therapy of neurodegenerative diseases are presented in this paper.