Method for increasing the viability of cells which are administered to the brain or spinal cord

Abstract

A method for increasing the viability of viable cells which are administered to the brain or spinal cord of a mammalian subject. This method is accomplished by attaching the cell to a support matrix so that the cell attaches to the matrix surface, and implanting the support matrix with the attached cell into the brain or spinal cord. Preferred support matrices are glass or plastic microbeads, either solid or porous, having a diameter from about 90 to about 125 .mu.m. The method employs cells of different types, preferably cells of neural or paraneural origin, such as adrenal chromaffin cells. Also useful are cell lines grown in vitro. Cells not of neural or paraneural origin, such as fibroblasts, may also be used following genetic alteration to express a desired neural product such as a neurotransmitter or a neuronal growth factor. The method is used to treat neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

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