Unraveling how Sparc regulates neural stem cell activity and adult neurogenesis in the post-natal mammalian central nervous system.

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The adult central nervous system, which consists of the brain and spinal cord, is notoriously resistant to repair and there is limited recovery in patients with a central nervous system injury or disease. In the adult, there is a rare population of stem cells that are able to continually divide and produce new brain cells. Scientists are currently trying to learn how the body controls brain stem cell behaviour, such as: the number of stem cells, the kinds of brain cells they generate, and where the new cells go in the nervous system. This is because brain stem cells offer a promising cell type that can be manipulated to make new cells that promote repair in the adult nervous system. However, before we can control these cells in an injured or unhealthy individual, we must first understand how these cells are controlled in a healthy system. Sparc is a protein that is found in the brain near the stem cell population, but no one knows what Sparc is doing here. We believe that Sparc may be involved in controlling brain stem cells, since it is known to control stem cells in other parts of the body. To investigate Sparc's function in the central nervous system and determine if it influences brain stem cell behaviour we will compare normal mice to mice that lack the Sparc protein. If Sparc is important for controlling brain stem cells than we will see changes in these cells when Sparc is absent. By measuring the number of brain stem cells, the kinds of new brain cells made, and where the new cells go in these mice, we will determine how Sparc influences stem cell behaviour in the central nervous system of mammals. This can help us better understand how human brain stem cells are controlled, and we may discover that Sparc can be manipulated in order to direct stem cell behavior and generate new, healthy brain cells in the right place and at the right time. This can lead to new therapies that would greatly improve the lives of patients living with brain injuries or diseases.