ABSTRACT
Objective To study the clinical efficacy of computer-assisted stereotactic brain transplantation of human retinal pigment epithelium (hRPE) cells into the patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Methods Under the guidance of computed X-ray tomography and magnetic resonance imaging image mergence, 4 × 106 hRPE cells were transplanted into the putamen and ventriculus laterlis of 17 cases of PD by stereotactic surgery. The transplantation sites were contralateral to the side of main symptoms and signs. The curative efficacy were observed at the 7th day, 1st month, and 3rd month after the transplantation. Results The contralateral symptoms were ameliorated continuously after the transplantation. Three months after the surgery, the total effective rate of cell transplantation was 88. 2 %, and 82. 4 % of the cases got significant improvement. The cases that got ipsilateral improvement soon after the surgery gave a total effective rate as high as 88. 2 % at the 3rd month during follow-up period, and 64. 7% among these cases improved significantly. Only a minority of cases had transient dizziness and hemiparesis, but the duration was short. Conclusion The therapy, computer-assisted stereotactic transplantation of hRPE ceils in the treatment of PD, is safe and efficient.