In vivo protection of nigral dopamine neurons by lentiviral gene transfer of the novel GDNF-family member neublastin/artemin

Summary, in English

The glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-family of neurotrophic factors consisted until recently of three members, GDNF, neurturin, and persephin. We describe here the cloning of a new GDNF-family member, neublastin (NBN), identical to artemin (ART), recently published (Baloh et al., 1998). Addition of NBN/ART to cultures of fetal mesencephalic dopamine (DA) neurons increased the number of surviving tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive neurons by approximately 70%, similar to the maximal effect obtained with GDNF. To investigate the neuroprotective effects in vivo, lentiviral vectors carrying the cDNA for NBN/ART or GDNF were injected into the striatum and ventral midbrain. Three weeks after an intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine lesion only about 20% of the nigral DA neurons were left in the control group, while 80-90% of the DA neurons remained in the NBN/ART and GDNF treatment groups, and the striatal TH-immunoreactive innervation was partly spared. We conclude that NBN/ART, similarly to GDNF, is a potent neuroprotective factor for the nigrostriatal DA neurons in vivo.

• Author: Carl Rosenblad; M Gronborg; C Hansen; N Blom; M Meyer; J Johansen; L Dago; Deniz Kirik; U A Patel; Cecilia Lundberg; D Trono; A Bjorklund; T E Johansen
• Department/s: Brain Repair and Imaging in Neural Systems (BRAINS); CNS Gene Therapy
• Publishing year: 2000
• Language: English
• Pages: 199-214
• Publication/Series: Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 2
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/mcne.1999.0817
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Topic: Neurosciences
• Status: Published
• Research group: Brain Repair and Imaging in Neural Systems (BRAINS); CNS Gene Therapy
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1044-7431