neural stem cell therapy

Class

undifferentiated fetal-derived neural stem cells

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are self-renewing, multipotent cells capable of becoming the three main cell types of the nervous system: neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Therapies based on undifferentiated fetal-derived NSCs introduce a population of these cells into damaged or degenerating brain or spinal cord tissue, where they can survive, integrate, and act in two complementary ways. First, cell replacement: the transplanted cells mature into the specific cell type that has been lost and attempt to re-establish functional connections. Second, paracrine support: even before or without full maturation, the cells secrete growth factors, anti-inflammatory molecules, and other signals that help the surrounding host tissue survive and function better. Because the central nervous system has very limited capacity to repair itself after injury or degeneration, this approach is being explored across conditions defined by loss or dysfunction of particular neural cell populations, including neurodegenerative disease, inherited metabolic disorders of the brain, stroke, spinal cord injury, and epilepsy. Some programs use broadly multipotent stem cells for general tissue support, while others use cells already directed toward a specific neuronal identity, such as inhibitory interneurons, to restore a more narrowly defined function.