Oliveira Alcyr A, Hodges Helen M
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
Curr Alzheimer Res. 2005 Jan;2(1):79-95. doi: 10.2174/1567205052772759.
It has long been recognised that Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients present an irreversible decline of cognitive functions as consequence of cell deterioration in the forebrain cholinergic projection system (FCPS), particularly, in a structure called nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM). The reduction of the number of cholinergic cells in the FCPS disrupts not just its functions and direct connexions but also the modulation of other systems causing interference in several aspects of behavioural performance including arousal, attention, learning and emotion. It is also common knowledge that AD is an untreatable degenerative disease with very few temporary and palliative drug therapies. Neural stem cell (NSC) grafts present a potential and innovative strategy for the treatment of many disorders of the central nervous system including AD, with the possibility of providing a more permanent remedy than present drug treatments. After grafting, these cells have the capacity to migrate to lesioned regions of the brain and differentiate into the necessary type of cells that are lacking in the diseased brain, supplying it with the cell population needed to promote recovery. The present article aims to review the main aspects of Alzheimer's disease and to explore the use of neural stem cells grafts as alternative treatment for the consequent functional deterioration.
长期以来，人们已经认识到，阿尔茨海默病（AD）患者由于前脑胆碱能投射系统（FCPS），特别是在一个称为迈内特基底核（nbM）的结构中的细胞退化，导致认知功能不可逆转地下降。FCPS中胆碱能细胞数量的减少不仅破坏了其功能和直接连接，还干扰了其他系统的调节，从而在行为表现的多个方面造成干扰，包括觉醒、注意力、学习和情绪。众所周知，AD是一种无法治愈的退行性疾病，只有很少的临时和姑息性药物治疗方法。神经干细胞（NSC）移植为治疗包括AD在内的许多中枢神经系统疾病提供了一种潜在的创新策略，有可能提供比现有药物治疗更持久的治疗方法。移植后，这些细胞有能力迁移到大脑的病变区域，并分化为患病大脑中缺乏的必要类型的细胞，为其提供促进恢复所需的细胞群体。本文旨在综述阿尔茨海默病的主要方面，并探讨使用神经干细胞移植作为治疗其导致的功能衰退的替代方法。
