Parkinson's Progress

ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING EXPERIMENTS IN THE treatment of Parkinson's disease involves the use of fetal-tissue transplants. At least 100 patients worldwide have had such tissue injected into their damaged brains. Now the first major published studies from teams that pioneered the technique document startling improvements in some patients. Following operations, Parkinson's sufferers who had trouble performing the most ordinary chores slowly became able to walk without falling, assume more care of themselves and even drive a car, according to three reports in the New England Journal of Medicine. It is not yet clear, however, whether the benefits are temporary or permanent.

Federal support of such fetal-tissue research is currently banned in the U.S as a result of the Reagan and Bush administrations' desire to placate antiabortion forces who feared that women would terminate pregnancies to provide tissue for transplants. President-elect Clinton opposes the ban.