[Adult neural stem cells: therapeutic potential in neurology]

Abstract

The existence of continuously dividing neural stem cells in the adult mammalian central nervous system including humans contradicts a long-standing neuroscientific dogma of the last century. Multipotential neural stem cells have been identified in neurogenic regions such as the hippocampus and the subventricular zone. Global stimuli, but also defined molecular signals modulate the proliferation, migration, differentiation, and survival of theses cells both in vivo and in vitro. The development of neural stem cell-based therapies for the regeneration of the injured or diseased brain includes 1. the activation of the endogenous pool of neural stem cells for "self repair" and/or 2. the autologous transplantation of adult neural stem cells into sites of damaged or missing cells. The aim of these strategies is to promote structural and functional recovery of the brain for numerous neurologic diseases.