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

• Published in: Nature medicine Vol. 14; no. 5; pp. 501 - 503
• Main Authors: Li, Jia-Yi, Englund, Elisabet, Holton, Janice L, Soulet, Denis, Hagell, Peter, Lees, Andrew J, Lashley, Tammaryn, Quinn, Niall P, Rehncrona, Stig, Björklund, Anders, Widner, Håkan, Revesz, Tamas, Lindvall, Olle, Brundin, Patrik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.05.2008; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: alpha-Synuclein - metabolism; Basic Medicine; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain research; Brain Tissue Transplantation - methods; Brain Tissue Transplantation - pathology; brief-communication; Cancer Research; Clinical Medicine; Disease Progression; Fetal Tissue Transplantation - methods; Fetal Tissue Transplantation - pathology; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Infectious Diseases; Klinisk medicin; Lewy Bodies - metabolism; Lewy Bodies - pathology; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper; Metabolic Diseases; Molecular Medicine; Neurologi; Neurology; Neurons; Neurophysiology; Neurosciences; Neurotransmitters; Neurovetenskaper; Parkinson Disease - therapy; Parkinson's disease; Proteins; Skin & tissue grafts; Survival; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1078-8956; 1546-170X; 1546-170X
• DOI: 10.1038/nm1746

Two subjects with Parkinson's disease who had long-term survival of transplanted fetal mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons (11–16 years) developed α-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.