Evidence for long-term survival and function of dopaminergic grafts in progressive Parkinson's disease
Two patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (Patients 3 and 4 in our series) were followed up to 3 years after grafting of human embryonic dopamine-rich mesencephalic tissue unilaterally into the putamen. During the first postoperative year both patients showed significant amelioration of parkinsonian symptoms and increased 6-L-[18F]-fluorodopa uptake in the grafted putamen, as assessed with