Enhancing the efficacy of neural stem cell transplants

在过去的十年中，我们对中枢神经系统（CNS）组成的理解随着大脑中干细胞的发现而发生了很大的变化。干细胞在治疗许多需要细胞替代疗法的人类疾病方面具有巨大的潜力。然而，要想利用干细胞取得有效的治疗效果，还必须完成广泛的基础研究。我们已经开发并建立了从小鼠大脑中分离和扩增干细胞的方法。实验程序将在组织培养中进行测试，以驱动干细胞进入修复脑回路所需的细胞类型。这些细胞将被移植到动物模型中（重点是帕金森氏症），以修复受损或退化的脑通路。成像程序也将用于监测移植细胞在活体动物中的分布和命运。能够指导干细胞的命运，并用高度敏感的标记物标记干细胞，代表着中枢神经系统中先进细胞替代疗法的重大飞跃。本课程的实验将有助于将干细胞应用于临床所需的必要知识。该研究具有广泛的应用于许多人类疾病的潜力，将为更有效和可靠的脑和脊髓干细胞治疗奠定基础。

Over the past decade, our understanding of the composition of the central nervous system (CNS) has changed considerably in relation to the discovery of stem cells in the brain. Stem cells hold significant potential to treat numerous human diseases that require cell replacement therapy. However, extensive basic research must be completed to achieve effective therapeutic results with stem cells. We have developed and established methods to isolate and expand stem cells from the brains of mice. Experimental procedures will be tested in tissue culture to drive stem cells into the cell types that are required to repair brain circuits. These cells will be transplanted into animal models (with a focus on Parkinson's) to repair the injured or degenerating brain pathways. Imaging procedures will also be used to monitor the distribution and fate of the transplanted cells in the living animal. The ability to direct the fate of stem cells and label stem cells with highly sensitive markers represents a significant jump to advance cell replacement therapy in the CNS. The experiments in this program will contribute to the necessary knowledge that is required to take stem cell applications to the clinic. With wide translational potential to many human diseases, this research will lay the foundations for more effective and reliable stem cell therapy in the brain and spinal cord.