CytoTherapeutics has reported that administration of human ciliaryneurotrophic factor, using the company's encapsulated cell system, was shown to have neuroprotective effects in a non-human primate model of Huntington's disease. The findings were published in Nature (March 27 issue).
Researchers found that when hCNTF was administered in this way, the striatal neuron loss associated with the movement abnormalities found in HD was much reduced, as was damage to a key region within the cerebral cortex. Specifically, it was found to preserve GABAergic, cholinergic and diaphorase-positive neurons. This is the first primate study to demonstrate that a growth factor may have potential as a neuroprotective agent in Huntington's, the company claims.
CytoTherapeutics believes that its encapsulated cell technology may allow for the long-term delivery of growth factors across the blood-brain barrier, without the side effects associated with current methods.
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