Abstract
Neural stem cells (NSCs) persist in the adult mammalian brain through life. The subventricular zone (SVZ) is the largest source of stem cells in the nervous system, and continuously generates new neuronal and glial cells involved in brain regeneration. During aging, the germinal potential of the SVZ suffers a widespread decline, but the causes of this turn down are not fully understood. This review provides a compilation of the current knowledge about the age-related changes in the NSC population, as well as the fate of the newly generated cells in the aged brain. It is known that the neurogenic capacity is clearly disrupted during aging, while the production of oligodendroglial cells is not compromised. Interestingly, the human brain seems to primarily preserve the ability to produce new oligodendrocytes instead of neurons, which could be related to the development of neurological disorders. Further studies in this matter are required to improve our understanding and the current strategies for fighting neurological diseases associated with senescence.
Highlights
Neural stem cells (NSCs) persist in two specific regions of the adult mammalian brain: the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles (Doetsch et al, 1997; Seri et al, 2001; Garcia-Verdugo et al, 2002; Alvarez-Buylla and Lim, 2004; Quinones-Hinojosa et al, 2006)
Several studies on aging have established that the neurogenic niches become severely disrupted with age
The number of NSCs within the SVZ decreases over time and the generation and fate of newly generated cells is altered
Summary
Neural stem cells (NSCs) persist in two specific regions of the adult mammalian brain: the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles (Doetsch et al, 1997; Seri et al, 2001; Garcia-Verdugo et al, 2002; Alvarez-Buylla and Lim, 2004; Quinones-Hinojosa et al, 2006). A reduction in the neuroblast population is observed along the RMS, which tends to disappear with age (Figure 1B) All these age-related changes are the consequence of a reduced stem cell activity (Enwere et al, 2004; Maslov et al, 2004; Luo et al, 2006; Molofsky et al, 2006; Bouab et al, 2011; Conover and Shook, 2011; McGinn et al, 2012; Capilla-Gonzalez et al, 2013). The ventricle surface of these animals displayed a disorganized cilia orientation and frequent patches devoid of cilia following ENU-exposure This ependymal ciliary dysfunction was associated with declined incorporation of SVZ-derived neuroblasts to the OB and a subsequent impairment in odor discrimination (Capilla-Gonzalez et al, 2010, 2012). Several studies reported how RMS is notably reduced in elderly rodent (Bouab et al, 2011; Capilla-Gonzalez et al, 2013), resulting in a severe disruption of the SVZ-RMS axis
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