Sertoli cell grafts for Huntington's disease. An opinion

The role of inflammation in CNS diseases is controversial, but growing evidence suggests that anti-inflammatory agents can minimize and/or prevent neural degeneration and its associated behavioral consequences. Sertoli cells can be grafted into the CNS to locally deliver molecules with known trophic and anti-inflammatory effects on the surrounding tissue. When Sertoli cells are grafted into the 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) model of Huntington's disease the protective effects are quite similar to those obtained using systemic treatments with NSAIDS (Salzberg-Benhouse et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 306:218-228, 2003). While these data alone do not provide unequivocal support for the notion that Sertoli cell grafts exert their beneficial effects via modulating local inflammation, they do provide an interesting convergence between data sets. The benefits of Sertoli cell grafts should be more thoroughly examined in animal models of inflammation.