Neural transplantation: a review of recent developments and potential applications to the aged brain

Mammalian neural transplantation has recently been recognized to be a valuable technique for studying normal development and regeneration in the central nervous system. In addition, the ability of grafted neurons to reinnervate damaged regions of the host brain and to ameliorate some neuroendocrine deficits, cognitive disorders and motoric dysfunctions in young adult rodents has suggested that transplantation therapy may be effective in treating human neurodegenerative diseases and neurotransmitter deficiencies related to aging. It is of particular interest that initial studies of neuron transplants in aged rodents indicate that cholinergic, dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurons all integrate to some extent with the aged brain, and that the product of this graft-host interaction is improved behavioral performance of aged subjects. The present paper critically reviews the present domain of neural transplantation, its application to studies on the properties of the aged mammalian brain and discusses the possible therapeutic use of transplants in ameliorating transmitter-specific abnormalities associated with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.