難治性精神疾患に対する脳神経回路再生療法の可能性

概要

論文の詳細を見る
Neural stem cells (NSCs) have recently been identified in mammalian brains, including human. The long-standing dogma of “no new neuron” was overturned by the discovery of NSCs in the adult brain. NSCs are primordial and uncommitted cells with two characteristic properties; self-renewal and multipotency. NSCs give rise to various types of cells in the central nervous system including neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. NSCs attract interests of a large number of researchers in various scientific fields because of their possibility of becoming innovative therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative disorders previously considered untreatable. Recent clinical neuroimaging studies have suggested that morphological brain changes occur and progress in the course of depression, Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. The analysis of potentials of psychotropic drugs on NSC function may reveal the pathophysiological importance of neural network impairment and its repair. Furthermore, the studies using stem cells such as intravenous NSC transplantation can be a useful method to clarify the neural network reconstruction mechanism damaged in neuropsychiatric disorders.
札幌医科大学の論文
2007-06-01