19 February 2004
Neural stem cells: A unique population of adult human astrocytes
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In adult rodents, one region of the brain, the subventricular zone, generates thousands of neurons every day. These cells migrate to the olfactory bulb to replace interneurons there. If the adult human brain contains a similarly productive region, there could be important implications for future developments in neuroregenerative therapy. A ribbon of astrocytes with stem cell potential has now been identified along the walls of the lateral ventricle of the adult human brain. The cover shows a reconstruction of the skull and brain, based on computed tomography, indicating regions of the subventricular zone where these stem cells are found. Unlike the stem cell progeny of the rodent brain, the young human neurons do not find their way to the olfactory bulb, so their precise function is not yet clear.
Unique astrocyte ribbon in adult human brain
contains neural stem cells but lacks chain migration
NADER SANAI, ANTHONY D. TRAMONTIN, ALFREDO QUI�ONES-HINOJOSA,
NICHOLAS M. BARBARO, NALIN GUPTA, SANDEEP KUNWAR, MICHAEL T. LAWTON, MICHAEL
W. MCDERMOTT, ANDREW T. PARSA, JOS� MANUEL-GARC�A VERDUGO, MITCHEL S.
BERGER & ARTURO ALVAREZ-BUYLLA
Nature 427, 740–744 (2004); doi:10.1038/nature02301
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Neuroscience: Immigration denied
PASKO RAKIC
The adult human brain cannot replace lost neurons. This might be because
it is reluctant to accept newcomers into an already established neural
network, rather than because potential progenitors are absent.
Nature 427, 685–686 (2004); doi:10.1038/427685a
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