Human neural stem cell transplants in neurological disorders: Current trends and future options

Abstract

Loss of neurons and glial cells is a common neuropathology in human neurological diseases. From acute stroke to chronic central nervous system (CNS) disorders like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, neuronal and glial cell death and damage remain irreparable with existing therapies. During the past decade, cell replacement therapy, gene transfer, and selective repair of injured neural cells in diseased areas of human brain and experimental animal models have become active areas of research with potential for promising therapeutic developments in neurological diseases.