Effects of Sertoli cell transplants in a 3-nitropropionic acid model of early Huntington's disease: a preliminary study

Problems with immunosuppression and graft survival limit clinical applications of neurotransplantation protocols for neurodegenerative disease. Sertoli cells, testes-derived cells with immunosuppressive and trophic properties, may serve as an alternative cell source for transplantation. Sertoli cells were transplanted into the striatum of rats following two injections of 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) to determine whether they could ameliorate abnormalities in a model of early stage Huntington's disease. 3-NP-induced locomotor hyperactivity was significantly reduced in rats receiving Sertoli transplants compared to controls, with some behaviors returning to baseline. Sertoli cells survived in the striatum without systemic immunosuppression and some formed tubule-like structures. These results show that Sertoli transplants are able to ameliorate locomotor abnormalities in a 3-NP model of early HD. Thus, Sertoli cells should be further evaluated as a possible treatment strategy for the early stages of Huntington's disease.