Adult Neurogenesis: Facts and Potential Targets in Some Neurological and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract

Adult neurogenesis is a process where new neurons are generated post-natally from neural stem cells maintained till adulthood. These neural stem cells are maintained in the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb although recent evidence has established their presence in other regions of the brain. Adult neurogenesis was first thought to be impossible due to several factors, one of which includes the integration of these newly formed neurons into the already existing neuronal circuitry in the brain. However, the development of new immunohistochemical techniques specific for neuronal and neural stem cells and confocal imaging have improved the evidence of neurogenesis since its discovery in the 1960s. Adult neurogenesis has been implicated in brain functions and its alteration is associated with various neurodegenerative diseases. Manipulations of adult neurogenesis and the several factors affecting it can be used to better understand and treat neurological and neurodegenerative conditions. This review discusses a general overview of adult neurogenesis, the factors affecting it and some neurological and neurodegenerative diseases relating to alterations in neurogenesis.