What increases the neuronal plasticity of endogenous NSCs after focal cerebral ischemia?

Stem cells can substitute the lost cells after central nervous system injury, decrease nervous tissue damage and promote neurofunctional recovery. Many brain injury models, including middle cerebral artery occlusion and traumatic brain injury models, have confirmed that neural stem cells (NSCs) can migrate from subventricular zone to injured cerebral cortex. But the mechanism underlying activation of endogenous NSCs in the ischemic brain remains unclear.

Dr. Hyung-Seok Kim, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea and his team revealed that NSCs were activated sequentially after focal cerebral ischemia and validated that early expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor increase the neuronal plasticity of activated endogenous NSCs after focal cerebral ischemia. Moreover, neural precursor cells after large-scale cortical injury could be recruited from the cortex nearby infarct core and subventricular zone. Related results were published in Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 9, No. 9, 2014).

More information:
Song S, Park JT, Na JY, Park MS, Lee JK, Lee MC, Kim HS. Early expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor increase the neuronal plasticity of activated endogenous neural stem cells after focal cerebral ischemia. Neural Regen Res. 2014;9(9):912-918.

Provided by Neural Regeneration Research