Potential of regenerative medicine for repairing the injured brain without cell transplantation

Abstract

A growing number of studies highlight the potential of cell transplantation as a novel therapeutic strategy for a wide range of brain diseases. However, there are many unsolved problems for this therapy to become scientifically/socially acceptable and clinically available.
 Endogenous neural stem cells continuously generate new neurons in the subventricular zone and dentate gyrus in the adult brain. Recent studies suggest that these cells are capable of contributing to the regeneration processes after various brain insults. In this review article, we discuss problems and potential of regenerative medicine with or without cell transplantation for brain regeneration.