The 'current state of play' in transplantation and restoration research of the CNS.

At the Network of European CNS Transplantation and Restoration 2005 meeting, a number of revealing studies were reported that could be divided into two broad, overlapping groups; methods to maximize the efficacy of cell transplants in vitro and their use in vivo. A variety of different forms of stem cells ranging from embryonic stem cells to cells expressing specific genes following lentiviral vector transduction were investigated. Methods to improve the efficacy of transplants included the cotransplantation of other cell lines, exposure of the recipient to an enriched environment and methods to promote differentiation. The majority of the studies, if disease-specific, related to Parkinson's disease, but additional reports on Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease and spinal cord injury were also present. A few studies related to different animal models of disease. Overall the future for transplantation and restoration of functional activity in diseased states is very promising.