Stem Cells And Cns Development

Stem Cells and CNS Development critically reviews recent findings on stem cells, their involvement in neurogenesis and gliogenesis, and the therapeutic implications of these findings. It defines by consensus the classes of stem cells in the nervous system, compares their similarities and differences, discusses the gains made in identifying human homologs of neural stem cells, and describes how these cells are beginning to be used for therapeutic purposes. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, this book provides all developmental scientists and neurobiologists not only an authoritative account of the current results in neural stem cell research, but also an incisive review of the rapidly emerging therapeutic uses of stem cells.

Developing the second edition of Neural Development and Stem Cells was neces- tated by the rapid increase in our knowledge of the development of the nervous system. It has become increasingly clear that stem cells are a heterogeneous population that changes extensively during development. Perhaps the most important advance in our understanding of stem cell behavior has been the realization that regionalization of stem cells occurs early in development and this bias toward differentiation in phe- types of neurons or cells characteristic of a particular part of the brain appears to persist even after prolonged culture. We have therefore included additional chapters on olf- tory epithelial stem cells and retinal stem cells, both of which differ in their properties from ventricular zone and subventricular zone–derived neural stem cells. It is also now clear from an analysis of mutants and transgenics where the death or self-renewal pa- way is altered that cell death regulates stem cell number. As a consequence, this second edition includes a separate chapter on cell death that summarizes the important changes in the death pathway that occur as stem cells mature. The existing chapters in the book have also been extensively revised and updated by experts who have generously c- tributed their time and expertise. The chapters have been organized along the lines of our understanding of how the nervous system develops (Fig. 1, on p. vi).

Neural Stem Cells: Development and Transplantation provides comprehensive, critical and insightful reviews by leading experts in this exciting field of research. This volume will provide the latest data on neural stem cell properties and their therapeutic applications. This volume will be particularly useful for students, basic scientists, and clinicians in the academic or industrial sectors who have an interest in understanding neural development and its application to repairing the nervous system.

This expanded and updated edition reflects the enormous increase in our knowledge of the development of the nervous system and the use of neural stem cells in clinical applications. Integrating new information about the use of development of neural stem cells for clinical applications, Drs. Rao, Carpenter and Vemuri have added additional chapters on neural transplantation and development of neural stem cells using reprogramming technologies. A new chapter on cancer in nervous system delineates how the fundamental biology of neural stem cells informs our understanding of cancer and tumor formation in the nervous system. Special attention is paid to the derivation of neural cells from embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Authoritative and up-to-date, Neural Development and Stem Cells, 3rd Edition provides neuroscientists with a handy guide to stem cells in the nervous system, tracing with great clarity the development of stem cells from differentiation to neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes.

This comprehensive volume is the first to specifically target developing, adult and diseased neural stem cells. It explores recent advances in the understanding of neural stem cell biology along with strategies that use these cells to tackle neurological diseases and brain aging. Ten inclusive chapters discuss a wide range of topics including neurogenesis, neurodegeneration, demyelinating disease, mood regulation, and spinal cord regeneration, among others. Written by world-renowned scientists in the field, Neural Stem Cells in Development, Adulthood and Disease presents cutting-edge studies of interest to both established neurogenesis researchers and readers with general interests in nervous system science. It is an authoritative addition to the Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine series.

This book summarizes early pioneering achievements in the field of human neural stem cell (hNSC) research and combines them with the latest advances in stem cell technology, including reprogramming and gene editing. The powerful potential of hNSC to generate and repair the developing and adult CNS has been confirmed by numerous experimental in vitro and in vivo studies. The book presents methods for hNSC derivation and discusses the mechanisms underlying NSC in vitro fate decisions and their in vivo therapeutic mode of action. The long-standing dogma that the human central nervous system (CNS) lacks the ability to regenerate was refuted at the end of the 20th century, when evidence of the presence of neurogenic zones in the adult human brain was found. These neurogenic zones are home to human neural stem cells (hNSCs), which are capable of self-renewing and differentiating into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. NSCs isolated from human CNS have a number of clinical advantages, especially the innate potential to differentiate into functional neural cells. Nevertheless, their full clinical exploitation has been hindered by limited access to the tissue and low expansion potential. The search for an alternative to CNS sources of autologous, therapeutically competent hNSCs was the driving force for the many studies proving the in vitro plasticity of different somatic stem cells to generate NSCs and their functional progeny. Now the era of induced pluripotent stem cells has opened entirely new opportunities to achieve research and therapeutic goals with the aid of hNSCs.

This volume is based on a meeting of the Fondation IPSEN, held in Paris on Sep tember 18, 1995 to address the main issues of nervous system stem cells biology. Cell replacement in the adult mammals is not unusual outside the nervous sys tem. In fact, the nervous system is unique in lacking the ability to replace cells, following damage. Most neurons, in the adult central nervous system are termin of the organism and are not replaced ally differentiated, exist through the life when they die. There are, however, regions of the postnatal brain that continue to produce new neurons, but the fate and longevity of those cells are not well known. Evidence exists that small populations of neurons continue to be born in the adult ventricular zone, olfactory epithelium and hippocampus. In the adult hippocampus, newly born neurons originate from putative stem cells that exist in the sub granular zone of the dentate gyrus. Progeny of these putative stem cells differentiate into neurons in the granular layer within a month of the cells' birth, and this late neurogenesis continues throughout the adult life of the rodent. By understanding the nature of progenitor cells present in the embryonic and adult brains, the change in their population dynamics during development, and the factors that influence their proliferation, fate choice and differentiation, it may be possible to develop a strategy to manipulate cells in situ to treat neuro degenerative diseases or the injured adult brain.