Zusammenfassung
Cross-species transplantation of dopamine-releasing cell lines protected
against immune rejection by a semi-permeable synthetic membrane may
provide a source of neurotransmitters for the treatment of Parkinson's
disease. Experiments were carried out to assess whether polymer-encapsulated
PC12 cells, a catecholaminergic cell line derived from a rat pheochromocytoma,
could survive in vitro as well as in vivo after implantation in the
striatum of adult guinea pigs. When maintained in vitro, the encapsulated
PC12 cells exhibited good survival, proliferated, and spontaneously
released dopamine for at least 6 months. They also retained the capacity
for depolarization-elicited dopamine release. In vivo, well-preserved
tyrosine hydroxylase-positive PC12 cells were observed in capsules
implanted for 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Unencapsulated PC12 cells or cells
in nonintact capsules did not survive transplantation at any of these
time periods. The survival of encapsulated PC12 cells transplanted
across species suggests that polymer encapsulation may provide an
alternative for xenotransplantation of secretory cells in the absence
of systemic immunosuppression.
Nutzer