Embryonic MGE Precursor Cells Grafted into Adult Rat Striatum Integrate and Ameliorate Motor Symptoms in 6-OHDA-Lesioned Rats

Verónica Martínez-Cerdeño, Stephen C. Noctor, Ana Espinosa, Jeanelle Ariza, Philip Parker, Samantha Orasji, Marcel M. Daadi, Krystof Bankiewicz, Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, Arnold R. Kriegstein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

94 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigated a strategy to ameliorate the motor symptoms of rats that received 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions, a rodent model of Parkinson's disease, through transplantation of embryonic medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) cells into the striatum. During brain development, embryonic MGE cells migrate into the striatum and neocortex where they mature into GABAergic interneurons and play a key role in establishing the balance between excitation and inhibition. Unlike most other embryonic neurons, MGE cells retain the capacity for migration and integration when transplanted into the postnatal and adult brain. We performed MGE cell transplantation into the basal ganglia of control and 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Transplanted MGE cells survived, differentiated into GABA+ neurons, integrated into host circuitry, and modifed motor behavior in both lesioned and control rats. Our data suggest that MGE cell transplantation into the striatum is a promising approach to investigate the potential benefits of remodeling basal ganglia circuitry in neurodegenerative diseases.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)238-250
Number of pages13
JournalCell Stem Cell
Volume6
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 5 2010
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • STEMCELL

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Medicine
  • Genetics
  • Cell Biology

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