Etiology of human neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson`s disease (PD), Huntington`s disease (HD) and motor neuron disease (ALS) is unknown. All are characterized by progressive death of specific neuronal populations that gives rise to their particular clinical phenotypes. The ever-present problem is how to prevent further neuronal attrition and how to repair and restore this loss of neurons. Cell therapy using stem cells could be such therapeutic solution but there are still many obstacles to overcome eg source of cells-embryonal or adult. We focused on adult mesenchymal stem cells derived from human bone marrow and can now isolate such cells, expand them to large numbers and using specially-devised \”cocktails\” induce their differentiation to astrocyte-like neurotrophic factors (such as BDNF and GDNF) producing cells (NTFs). We have now transplanted human NTFs in different targets in rats and mice with various experimental models for human disorders. These included unilateral 6-OH-DA striatal lesions and systemic MPTP for PD, transgenic HD mice, SOD-1 mutated mice transgenes for ALS, and rats with schiatic nerve injury. We have been able to attenuate the relevant behavioural impairments and also neuronal losses. We propose that such adult human bone marrow-derived and differentiated NTFs can become a novel autologous therapeutic strategy in neurodegenerative diseases in the forseeable future. Supported, in part, by the Norma and Alan Aufzien Chair for Research of PD and The Eleonora Devora Kirshman Fund for PD, Tel Aviv University.
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