Microencapsulated choroid plexus epithelial cell transplants for repair of the brain.

The choroid plexuses (CPs) play pivotal roles in basic aspects of neural function including maintaining the extracellular milieu of the brain by actively modulating chemical exchange between the CSF and brain parenchyma, surveying the chemical and immunological status of the brain, detoxifying the brain, secreting a nutritive "cocktail" of polypeptides and participating in repair processes following trauma. Even modest changes in the CP can have far reaching effects and changes in the anatomy and physiology of the CP have been linked to several CNS diseases. It is also possible that replacing diseased or transplanting healthy CP might be useful for treating acute and chronic brain diseases. Here we describe the wide-ranging functions of the CP, alterations of these functions in aging and neurodegeneration and recent demonstrations of the therapeutic potential of transplanted microencapsulated CP for neural trauma.