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Berninger, B. ; Hack, M.A. ; Götz, M.

Neural stem cells: On where they hide, in which disguise, and how we may lure them out.

In: Stem Cells. Berlin ; Heidelberg: Springer, 2006. 319-360 (Handb. Exp. Pharmacol. ; 174)
DOI
Open Access Green as soon as Postprint is submitted to ZB.
In contrast to the haematopoietic system in which each cell type is subject to constant turnover, thus endowing this system with the permanent ability to reconstitute itself, the nervous system has long been known as an organ devoid of spontaneous cellular reconstitution. Yet the discovery that certain regions of the mammalian central nervous system do sustain neurogenesis throughout life, together with the fact that cells can be isolated from the adult brain that generate neurons in vitro, has led to the idea that the nervous tissue harbours neural stem cells. The term “neural stem cell” has now become associated with enormous expectations for curing diseases of the nervous system. Yet many of the biological fundamentals of neural stem cells need to be revealed before these expectations can be properly judged or even fulfilled. This begins with the question of whether the neural stem cell corresponds to a real entity or rather represents an in vitro dedifferentiation phenomenon. In this chapterwe attempt to give an overviewof our current knowledge of the biology of the presumable adult neural stem cell. This is followed by a comparative assessment of the possibilities of using adult neural stemcells and embryonic stem cells for therapeutic approaches in the context of neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we will look at the “evil side” of stemness by discussing the evidence that brain cancersmay originate from cells with stem cell-like properties.
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Publication type Article: Edited volume or book chapter
Corresponding Author
Keywords Adult neurogenesis; stem cell niche; Neuronal differentiation; Cell replacement therapy; Brain cancer
ISSN (print) / ISBN 0171-2004
ISBN 9781402082740
Book Volume Title Stem Cells
Journal Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology
Quellenangaben Volume: 174, Issue: , Pages: 319-360 Article Number: , Supplement: ,
Publisher Springer
Publishing Place Berlin ; Heidelberg
Non-patent literature Publications
Reviewing status Peer reviewed
Institute(s) Institute of Stem Cell Research (ISF)