Dopaminergic neurons protected from degeneration by GDNF gene therapy

Science. 1997 Feb 7;275(5301):838-41. doi: 10.1126/science.275.5301.838.

Abstract

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) supports growth and survival of dopaminergic (DA) neurons. A replication-defective adenoviral (Ad) vector encoding human GDNF injected near the rat substantia nigra was found to protect DA neurons from the progressive degeneration induced by the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) injected into the striatum. Ad GDNF gene therapy reduced loss of DA neurons approximately threefold 6 weeks after 6-OHDA lesion, as compared with no treatment or injection of Ad lacZ or Ad mGDNF (encoding a biologically inactive deletion mutant GDNF). These results suggest that Ad vector-mediated GDNF gene therapy may slow the DA neuronal cell loss in humans with Parkinson's disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenoviridae / genetics
  • Animals
  • Corpus Striatum / metabolism
  • Corpus Striatum / pathology
  • Dopamine / physiology*
  • Gene Expression
  • Genetic Therapy*
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nerve Degeneration*
  • Nerve Growth Factors*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics*
  • Neurons / pathology
  • Neurons / physiology
  • Neuroprotective Agents*
  • Oxidopamine
  • PC12 Cells
  • Parkinson Disease / pathology
  • Parkinson Disease / therapy*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred F344
  • Substantia Nigra / metabolism
  • Substantia Nigra / pathology
  • Transgenes

Substances

  • GDNF protein, human
  • Gdnf protein, rat
  • Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
  • Nerve Growth Factors
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Oxidopamine
  • Dopamine

Associated data

  • GENBANK/L19062
  • GENBANK/L19063