Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

The 50th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Neurology

Endogenous repair mechanisms in the brain

Kazunobu Sawamoto

Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences

Most of neurons are generated by neural stem cells in the developing brain at the embryonic or neonatal stages. However, recent studies indicate that adult brain also contains neural stem cells that continuously generate new neurons. Neurogenesis can be observed in the adult subventricular zone (SVZ) at the lateral wall of the lateral ventricles of various animal species including primates. Young neurons generated in the SVZ migrate over long distances and mature after they reach their final destinations where they function. In this talk, I will present our recent studies using animal models on the mechanisms of neuronal production, migration and maturation in the adult brain under physiological and pathological conditions, and discuss the possibility of their application into regeneration therapies for ischemic brain diseases.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (1094K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 49: 830|833, 2009)
key words: adult neurogenesis, subventricular zone, neural stem cell, neuronal migration, neuronal regeneration

(Received: 21-May-09)