Effects of engineered conserved dopamine neurotrophic factor-expressing bone marrow stromal cells on dopaminergic...

Numerous lines of evidence previously indicated that conserved dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF) has potential therapeutic value for Parkinson's disease (PD); however, this hypothesis remains controversial. In the present study, the therapeutic effects of engineered CDNF-expressing bone marrow stromal cells (CDNF-BMSCs) on dopaminergic (DA) neurons were evaluated in vivo. CDNF-BMSCs and control BMSCs were transplanted into the rat striatum and one week later, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) was administered to induce neurotoxicity. It was discovered that intrastriatal transplantation of CDNF-BMSCs significantly reduced 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity in DA neurons with regard to behavioral recovery and tyrosine hydroxylase levels in the substantia nigra and striatum. These data therefore indicated that transplantation of engineered CDNF-BMSCs into the striatum may present a beneficial strategy for the treatment of PD.