Dopamine

Neurogénesis en el Cerebro Adulto: Promesas y Posibilidades en la Enfermedad de Parkinson.

Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter implicated in the regulation of mood, motivation and movement. Here, we have reviewed recent data suggesting that dopamine, in addition to being a neurotransmitter, also plays a role in the regulation of endogenous neurogenesis in the adult mammalian brain. In addition, we approach a highly controversial question: can the adult human brain use endogenous neurogenesis to replace the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra that are lost in Parkinson’s disease?

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Palabras clave: Dopamina, enfermedad de Parkinson, Neurogénesis, Sustancia nigra, Zona subventricular,

Keywords: Dopamine, Neurogenesis, Parkinson’s disease, Substantia nigra, Subventricular zone,

Terapia Celular en la Enfermedad de Parkinson.

The pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease is a gradual loss of nigrostriatal dopamine-containing neurons and is responsible for cardinal motor symptoms of the disease. Current therapeutic strategies are mostly based on pharmacological enhancement of the dopaminergic neurotransmission. This therapeutic approach has several long-term side effects, such as dyskinesias and fluctuations of response and is therefore limited in its use. Transplantation of fetal dopaminergic precursor cells has provided the proof that a cell replacement therapy can ameliorate clinical symptoms in affected patients. Novel therapies aiming at a stimulation of an endogenous dopamine production within the brain at a continuous rate might provide a more physiological and elegant way to overcome the dopaminergic deficiency in parkinsonian brains. This article will review recent studies demonstrating the potential of these alternative cell graft sources for treating Parkinson’s disease.