[Stem cell therapy for neurodegenerative disorders].

Intrastriatal, foetal neural transplants can ameliorate symptoms in patients with Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, although not stop the primary cell-loss. Several issues must, however, be addressed before general or extended clinical use of cell therapy in neurodegenerative diseases can become a reality. Improvements include standardized and safe master cell-lines derived from human embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells and neural stem cells. Cells from these sources are expected to become available for cell replacement therapies or therapeutic production of trophic, anti-inflammatory and restorative factors within a few years.