Stem Cells and Neurological Diseases

Sumaira Pervaiz, Saba Irshad

Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

Email: saba.ibb@pu.edu.pk

Accept Date: Sep 10, 2012 23:38

Abstract :

Now-a-days many human neurological diseases are not currently curable and result in devastating neurologic sequelae. In the last decade many laboratories are focusing on stem cell treatments for CNS diseases. Out of the many stem cell types that are being tested for neurological treatments, the most common are fetal and adult brain stem cells, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cells. So, now Patient-specific iPSC-based modelling of neurogenetic and neurodegenerative diseases is an emerging efficient tool for in vitro modelling to understand CNS diseases and to screen for genes and drugs that modify the disease process. So now-a-days a far more pragmatic approach in the short term might be to use stem cells as chaperones for degenerating nervous tissues, also, the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents could be achieved by modifying stem cells to release specific drugs at the site of transplantation. The exploitation and elucidation of this new ‘stem cell pharmacology’ has the potential to revolutionise treatment of neurological diseases investigations, and also aimed to replace damaged neurons and gliaby direct transplantation or recruitment of newly generated cellsin the adult. Now the next step is totranslate these exciting advances from the laboratory into clinically useful therapies. Keywords: Stem cell technology, CNS, Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic disease, Alzheimer disease.