Transplantation of Fetal Midbrain Dopamine Progenitors into a Rodent Model of Parkinson’s Disease

Cell therapy is a promising experimental treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD). It is based on the idea that new dopamine neurons transplanted directly into the forebrain of the patient can structurally and functionally compensate for those lost to the disease in order to restore motor function. While there is a highly active field of research focused on the development of stem cell-based procedures, fetal tissue remains the “gold standard” as a safe and reliable source of dopamine neuron progenitors capable of structural and functional integration with existing motor circuitry following transplantation. This chapter describes the basic procedures for preparation of dopamine progenitor rich cell suspensions of ventral mesencephalon as well as implantation into the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine model of PD and assessment of functional impact according to drug-induced rotational behavior. The description assumes a basic knowledge of animal handling and stereotaxic surgical procedures in rodents.