Stem and Progenitor Cell-Derived Astroglia Therapies for Neurological Diseases

Chen Chen; Albert Chan; Han Wen; Seung-Hyuk Chung; Wenbin Deng; Peng Jiang

doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2015.09.003

Stem and Progenitor Cell-Derived Astroglia Therapies for Neurological Diseases

Trends Mol Med. 2015 Nov;21(11):715-729. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2015.09.003. Epub 2015 Oct 3.

Authors

Chen Chen¹, Albert Chan², Han Wen¹, Seung-Hyuk Chung³, Wenbin Deng⁴, Peng Jiang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, CA, USA.
² Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
³ College of Dentistry, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA.
⁴ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, CA, USA. Electronic address: wbdeng@ucdavis.edu.
⁵ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, CA, USA; Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, NE, USA. Electronic address: peng.jiang@unmc.edu.

Abstract

Astroglia are a major cellular constituent of the central nervous system (CNS) and play crucial roles in brain development, function, and integrity. Increasing evidence demonstrates that astroglia dysfunction occurs in a variety of neurological disorders ranging from CNS injuries to genetic diseases and chronic degenerative conditions. These new insights herald the concept that transplantation of astroglia could be of therapeutic value in treating the injured or diseased CNS. Recent technological advances in the generation of human astroglia from stem and progenitor cells have been prominent. We propose that a better understanding of the suitability of astroglial cells in transplantation as well as of their therapeutic effects in animal models may lead to the establishment of astroglia-based therapies to treat neurological diseases.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Astrocytes / cytology
Astrocytes / transplantation*
Cell Culture Techniques / methods
Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / methods
Humans
Nervous System Diseases / therapy*
Stem Cells / cytology*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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