Functions of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic synapse and the use of neurotransplantation in Parkinson's disease.

While pharmaceutical options remain the overwhelmingly accepted treatment of choice for neurological and psychiatric diseases, significant accomplishments in regenerative neuroscience research have demonstrated the potential of cellular and synaptic functional repair in future therapies. Parkinson's disease stands out as an example in which repair by dopaminergic neurons appears a viable potential therapy. This article describes the basic neurobiological underpinnings of the rationale for cell therapy for Parkinson's disease and the challenges ahead for the use of regenerative medicine in the treatment for this disease.