Stem Cell-Mediated Regeneration of the Adult Brain

Acute or chronic injury of the adult mammalian brain is often associated with persistent functional deficits as its potential for regeneration and capacity to rebuild lost neural structures is limited. However, the discovery that neural stem cells (NSCs) persist throughout life in discrete regions of the brain, novel approaches to induce the formation of neuronal and glial cells, and recently developed strategies to generate tissue for exogenous cell replacement strategies opened novel perspectives how to regenerate the adult brain. Here, we will review recently developed approaches for brain repair and discuss future perspectives that may eventually allow for developing novel treatment strategies in acute and chronic brain injury. (C) 2016 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg