Conclusion
Speculations on the formation of pathology include: 1) α-synuclein and tau pathology spread from host to the graft in a neuron-neuron manner. 2) The nature of the fetal cells themselves, or transplantation process, may render fetal tissue more susceptible to the spontaneous generation of pathology. 3) Factors within host environment caused native tau and α-synuclein in fetal tissue graft to become phosphorylated.
Methods
A 49 year old man with PD underwent bilateral fetal ventral mesencephalic cell transplants into the striatum. Autopsy at age 70 included immunohistochemical staining of host and graft tissue with antibodies to phosphorylated α-synuclein and phosphorylated tau protein.
Results
Autopsy confirmed the diagnosis of PD. Immunohistochemical staining of graft tissue demonstrated frequent neuronal perikaryal inclusions of phosphorylated α -synuclein and tau in the left graft only.