Interventions in aging and neurodegenerative disease: Effects on adult stemcells

Throughout the entire life span, stem cells are present in many organs of our body and continue to produce new cells which are critical to maintain homeostasis and to repair damaged tissues. In the brain, stem cells generate new neurons through a process called neurogenesis. With age, stem cells lose their ability to generate new cells, although the number of stem cells remains constant over time. This may be due in part to cellular stresses such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and loss of trophic factors that accumulate with age. A better understanding of the regulatory factors which control neurogenesis is necessary in order to utilize the potential of the endogenous adult stem cells to treat the degenerative condition.