Long-term Evaluation of Bilateral Fetal Nigral Transplantation in Parkinson Disease

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Abstract
PARKINSON disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a loss of nigrostriatal neurons and a reduction of striatal dopamine (DA).1,2 Patients initially respond to treatment with dopaminergic medications, but long-term treatment is complicated by the development of motor fluctuations ("on" and "off" states), involuntary movements (dyskinesia), and features that do not respond to the use of levodopa. As a result, after approximately 10 years of treatment, most patients with PD suffer disability that cannot be satisfactorily controlled. This has spurred a search for alternate treatments that might improve long-term outcome.