Progenitor cells and adult neurogenesis in neurodegenerative diseases and injuries of the basal ganglia

1. The subventricular zone (SVZ) of the forebrain that overlies the caudate nucleus is one of the principal brain regions in which neurogenesis occurs in the human brain, throughout life. 2. In response to the degeneration that occurs in the caudate nucleus in Huntington's disease, or in the caudate nucleus or cortex in stroke models, the SVZ increases the production of progenitor cells that migrate towards the site of the damage where they can differentiate into mature neurons and glial cells. The SVZ contains three main cell types and these are progenitor cells, glial cells and migratory neuroblasts; glial cells are the most common cell type and, in response to Huntington's disease, most of the SVZ cell proliferation is glial, but the number of precursor and neuroblasts is also increased. 3. The SVZ is enriched in neuroactive compounds, such as neuropeptide Y and gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subunits gamma 2, which stimulate ongoing neurogenesis. Interestingly, these stimulating cues are upregulated in the SVZ in response to Huntington's disease. Thus, the SVZ comprises heterogeneous cell types that are maintained in an environment that is permissive to neurogenesis and gliogenesis, and responds to neurodegenerative changes in adjacent brain regions by increasing progenitor cell proliferation and neurogenesis in an attempt to replace the cells that die as a result of neurodegeneration.