Porcine neural cells and their use in treatment of neurological deficits due to neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract

Porcine neural cells and methods for using the cells to treat neurological deficits due to neurodegeneration are described. The porcine neural cells are preferably embryonic mesencephalic, embryonic striatal cells, or embryonic cortical cells. The porcine neural cells can be modified to be suitable for transplantation into a xenogeneic subject, such as a human. For example, the porcine neural cells can be modified such that an antigen (e.g., an MHC class I antigen) on the cell surface which is capable of stimulating an immune response against the cell in a xenogeneic subject is altered (e.g., by contact with an anti-MHC class I antibody, or a fragment or derivative thereof) to inhibit rejection of the cell when introduced into the subject. In one embodiment, the porcine neural cells are obtained from a pig which is essentially free from organisms or substances which are capable of transmitting infection or disease to the recipient subject. The porcine neural cells of the present invention can be used to treat neurological deficits due to neurodegeneration in the brain of a xenogeneic subject (e.g., a human with epilepsy, head trauma, stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, or Huntington's disease) by introducing the cells into the brain of the subject.