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Functional effects of fetal striatal transplants
A B Norman1, M N Lehman, P R Sanberg
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45267.
Brain Research Bulletin
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Fetal striatal tissue transplants survive and function in adult brains, reversing hyperactivity. Evidence for neuroanatomical connections and neurotrophic factor roles is reviewed.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Regenerative Medicine
- Brain Transplantation
Background:
- Fetal brain tissue transplantation into adult brains shows promising survival and growth.
- Previous research focused on homogeneous dopaminergic neuron transplants.
- Complex fetal striatal tissue, containing diverse neuronal types, is now being investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review studies on the survival and function of fetal striatal tissue transplants in adult brains.
- To examine the behavioral effects of these transplants, particularly in excitotoxin-lesioned striatum.
- To discuss the evidence for host-transplant connections and the role of neurotrophic factors.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing scientific literature on fetal striatal transplantation.
- Analysis of studies investigating behavioral changes in transplant recipients.
- Evaluation of evidence regarding neuroanatomical connections and dopamine receptor presence.
Main Results:
- Fetal striatal transplants survive and grow in excitotoxin-lesioned adult striatum.
- Transplants reverse spontaneous locomotor hyperactivity.
- Controversy exists regarding the reversal of drug-induced hyperactivity and dopamine receptor presence.
Conclusions:
- Fetal striatal transplants are functional and can elicit behavioral changes.
- The mechanisms underlying functional recovery, including neuroanatomical connections and neurotrophic factors, require further investigation.
- This approach holds potential for treating neurological disorders affecting the striatum.