Insights into the Biology and Therapeutic Applications of Neural Stem Cells

© 2016 Lachlan Harris et al. The cerebral cortex is essential for our higher cognitive functions and emotional reasoning. Arguably, this brain structure is the distinguishing feature of our species, and yet our remarkable cognitive capacity has seemingly come at a cost to the regenerative capacity o...

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Main Authors: Harris, L., Zalucki, O., Piper, M., Heng, Julian
Format: Journal Article
Published: Hindawi 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/72682
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author Harris, L.
Zalucki, O.
Piper, M.
Heng, Julian
author_facet Harris, L.
Zalucki, O.
Piper, M.
Heng, Julian
author_sort Harris, L.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description © 2016 Lachlan Harris et al. The cerebral cortex is essential for our higher cognitive functions and emotional reasoning. Arguably, this brain structure is the distinguishing feature of our species, and yet our remarkable cognitive capacity has seemingly come at a cost to the regenerative capacity of the human brain. Indeed, the capacity for regeneration and neurogenesis of the brains of vertebrates has declined over the course of evolution, from fish to rodents to primates. Nevertheless, recent evidence supporting the existence of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult human brain raises new questions about the biological significance of adult neurogenesis in relation to ageing and the possibility that such endogenous sources of NSCs might provide therapeutic options for the treatment of brain injury and disease. Here, we highlight recent insights and perspectives on NSCs within both the developing and adult cerebral cortex. Our review of NSCs during development focuses upon the diversity and therapeutic potential of these cells for use in cellular transplantation and in the modeling of neurodevelopmental disorders. Finally, we describe the cellular and molecular characteristics of NSCs within the adult brain and strategies to harness the therapeutic potential of these cell populations in the treatment of brain injury and disease.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-726822019-03-20T07:14:01Z Insights into the Biology and Therapeutic Applications of Neural Stem Cells Harris, L. Zalucki, O. Piper, M. Heng, Julian © 2016 Lachlan Harris et al. The cerebral cortex is essential for our higher cognitive functions and emotional reasoning. Arguably, this brain structure is the distinguishing feature of our species, and yet our remarkable cognitive capacity has seemingly come at a cost to the regenerative capacity of the human brain. Indeed, the capacity for regeneration and neurogenesis of the brains of vertebrates has declined over the course of evolution, from fish to rodents to primates. Nevertheless, recent evidence supporting the existence of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult human brain raises new questions about the biological significance of adult neurogenesis in relation to ageing and the possibility that such endogenous sources of NSCs might provide therapeutic options for the treatment of brain injury and disease. Here, we highlight recent insights and perspectives on NSCs within both the developing and adult cerebral cortex. Our review of NSCs during development focuses upon the diversity and therapeutic potential of these cells for use in cellular transplantation and in the modeling of neurodevelopmental disorders. Finally, we describe the cellular and molecular characteristics of NSCs within the adult brain and strategies to harness the therapeutic potential of these cell populations in the treatment of brain injury and disease. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/72682 10.1155/2016/9745315 Hindawi unknown
spellingShingle Harris, L.
Zalucki, O.
Piper, M.
Heng, Julian
Insights into the Biology and Therapeutic Applications of Neural Stem Cells
title Insights into the Biology and Therapeutic Applications of Neural Stem Cells
title_full Insights into the Biology and Therapeutic Applications of Neural Stem Cells
title_fullStr Insights into the Biology and Therapeutic Applications of Neural Stem Cells
title_full_unstemmed Insights into the Biology and Therapeutic Applications of Neural Stem Cells
title_short Insights into the Biology and Therapeutic Applications of Neural Stem Cells
title_sort insights into the biology and therapeutic applications of neural stem cells
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/72682