The reconstruction of midbrain dopamine (DA) circuitry through intracerebral transplantation
of new DA neurons contained in embryonic ventral mesencephalon (VM) is a promising
therapeutic approach for Parkinson's disease (PD). Although some of the early open-label
trials have provided proof-of-principal that VM grafts can provide sustained improvement of
motor function in some patients, subsequent trials showed that the functional response can
be highly variable. This chapter reviews an extensive body of basic and clinical research on …