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Review
. 2018 Jan;188(1):23-28.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2017.09.004. Epub 2017 Oct 10.

Function and Dysfunction of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Regeneration and Disease

Lei Peng  1 , Michael A Bonaguidi  2
Affiliations
Review

Function and Dysfunction of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Regeneration and Disease

Lei Peng et al. Am J Pathol. 2018 Jan.

Abstract

The hippocampus is the only known brain region where physiological neurogenesis continues into adulthood across mammalian species and in humans. However, disease and injury can change the level of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, which plays an important role in regulating cognitive and emotional abilities. Alterations in hippocampal neurogenesis can mediate treatment of mental illness or affect the brain's capacity for repair and regeneration. In the present review, we evaluate how adult neurogenesis contributes to the repair and regeneration of hippocampal circuitry in the face of diseases and injuries. We also discuss possible future directions for harnessing adult neurogenesis for therapeutic use.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Adult neurogenesis regions. Adult neurogenesis is restricted in specific brain regions in humans and mice. Left panel: Human adult neurogenesis occurs under basal conditions in the hippocampus (red) and the striatum (green). Right panel: Murine adult neurogenesis occurs in the hippocampus (red) and the subventricular zone (purple). The hippocampus serves as the only brain region where adult neurogenesis is conserved across mammalian species.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Roles of adult neurogenesis in disease. Hippocampal neurogenesis can be beneficial or detrimental to disease outcome, with varying degrees of data to support these interpretations. Depression is the most well-defined disease where adult neurogenesis acts as a beneficial contributor for treatment and symptom amelioration. Neurogenesis also contributes to more efficient repair and regeneration during stroke and traumatic brain injury. Meanwhile, neurogenesis in epilepsy can be detrimental to disease progression, and aging lowers the ability of neurogenesis to promote hippocampus repair. The conclusive establishment of neurogenesis in either disease progression or regeneration capacity remains largely unknown in Alzheimer disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
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