Neural: Stem and Progenitor Cells in Adults

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are multipotent, self-renewing cells that can generate the typical cellular phenotypes of the nervous system. These cells are produced throughout the life of an adult via a process referred to as neurogenesis. Like other tissue-specific stem cells, NSCs persist as small and discrete populations in the brain and can undergo extensive proliferation, giving rise to new glia and neurons. In mammals, they remain throughout life and play the important role of continuously renewing neurons. Upon receiving exogenous stimuli from the environment, stem cells differentiate into multiple cell types and undergo a form of asymmetric cell division to generate two daughter cells, one specialized and the other one nonspecialized. NSCs mainly differentiate into neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes. They are viewed as adult ...