Stem Cells

Abstract

Stem cells provide us with a future alternative to more traditional pharmacology for the treatment of a wide range of pathology that occurs within the central nervous system (CNS). The ability not only to minimize neuronal and glial degeneration and loss, but also to repair and regenerate the diseased nervous system is currently the investigational horizon for regenerative medicine. For this, neural stem cells (NSCs) that can be derived either from the CNS itself or from pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are promising candidates. Their ability to ameliorate disease symptoms and to improve the functional recovery of neuronal and glial cells has been demonstrated in various animal models of traumatic and ischemic CNS injury and neurodegeneration. Further, the possibility of recruiting endogenous stem cells to compliment stem cell transplantation provides additional promise to the future of stem cell-mediated regenerative medicine.