Lewy bodies in grafted neurons in subjects with Parkinson's disease suggest host-to-graft disease propagation.

Summary, in English

Two subjects with Parkinson's disease who had long-term survival of transplanted fetal mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons (11-16 years) developed alpha-synuclein-positive Lewy bodies in grafted neurons. Our observation has key implications for understanding Parkinson's pathogenesis by providing the first evidence, to our knowledge, that the disease can propagate from host to graft cells. However, available data suggest that the majority of grafted cells are functionally unimpaired after a decade, and recipients can still experience long-term symptomatic relief.

• Author: Jia-Yi Li; Elisabet Englund; Janice L Holton; Denis Soulet; Peter Hagell; Andrew J Lees; Tammaryn Lashley; Niall P Quinn; Stig Rehncrona; Anders Björklund; Håkan Widner; Tamas Revesz; Olle Lindvall; Patrik Brundin
• Department/s: Neural Plasticity and Repair; Tumor microenvironment; Department of Experimental Medical Science; Department of Health Sciences; Neurosurgery; Neurobiology; Neurology, Lund
• Publishing year: 2008
• Language: English
• Pages: 501-503
• Publication/Series: Nature Medicine
• Volume: 14
• Links: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18391963?dopt=Abstract; http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nm1746
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Topic: Neurosciences; Neurology
• Status: Published
• Research group: Neural Plasticity and Repair; Neurobiology
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1546-170X