CONy 2022 | Issues in fetal tissue transplantation for Parkinson’s disease

Clive Svendsen, PhD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, discusses the feasibility of replacing dying neurons with transplanted fetal cells in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Whilst initial transplantation of dopamine-producing brain tissue from fetuses aged 14 weeks into patients have demonstrated encouraging results, double blind studies have put the efficacy of fetal tissue transplantation into question. Dr Svendsen additionally highlights how the fetal tissue is transplanted in the striatum instead of the brain stem, as well as the side effects including runaway dyskinesia. This interview was conducted during the 2022 World Congress on Controversies in Neurology (CONy) meeting.