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Review
. 2010 Sep 15;11(9):3288-97.
doi: 10.3390/ijms11093288.

Stem cells and neuroprotection: understanding the players

Virginia Pearce  1
Affiliations
Review

Stem cells and neuroprotection: understanding the players

Virginia Pearce. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

The use of neuroprotective therapies begs the question of how such therapies could affect preexisting stem cell populations within the host, as well as those introduced through cell-replacement therapy. Multiple mechanisms may mediate stem cell responses to neuroprotectants such as host/donor age and gender, cellular lineage/differentiation status, and mitochondrial dynamics. Current therapeutic sources for stem cells are embryonic, somatic, or induced pluripotent, with very little known about the effects of gender, age, cell type, and mitochondrial dynamics. With the advent of therapies to stimulate and recruit endogenous stem cells or transplant donor cells into damage areas in the hopes of recuperative regeneration of lost neurons, it is important to discuss mechanisms that dictate the winning players in the neuroprotection game. This review will focus on our current understanding of the characteristics of renewing stem cells that may affect neuroprotection.

Keywords: gender specific; mitochondria; neuroprotection; renewal; stem cells; telomerase.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Replacement cells are provided through a hierarchy of cell types that result when self-renewing stem cells proliferate through asymmetrical and/or symmetrical division to form precursor and progenitor cells. Upon differentiation, neurons are formed.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Primary mouse hippocampal cells cultured in vitro on coverslips with (a) and without growth factors (GF) (b, c), then fixed and stained for neuronal cells with markers neurofilament (nF) red and glial cells with (GFAP) green (a, b), and neural cells MAP2 (c) with DAPI stained nuclei (blue).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Human neural stem cells showing mitochondria (green) in progenitors with (a) perinuclear staining, and (b) more cytoplasmic staining.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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