Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
Development. 2013 Jun;140(12):2548-61. doi: 10.1242/dev.088005.
It was long thought that no new neurons are added to the adult brain. Similarly, neurotransmitter signaling was primarily associated with communication between differentiated neurons. Both of these ideas have been challenged, and a crosstalk between neurogenesis and neurotransmitter signaling is beginning to emerge. In this Review, we discuss neurotransmitter signaling as it functions at the intersection of stem cell research and regenerative medicine, exploring how it may regulate the formation of new functional neurons and outlining interactions with other signaling pathways. We consider evolutionary and cross-species comparative aspects, and integrate available results in the context of normal physiological versus pathological conditions. We also discuss the potential role of neurotransmitters in brain size regulation and implications for cell replacement therapies.
长期以来，人们一直认为成年人的大脑中不会产生新的神经元。同样，神经递质信号传递主要与分化神经元之间的通讯相关。这两个观点都受到了挑战，神经发生和神经递质信号传递之间的串扰开始显现。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了神经递质信号传递在干细胞研究和再生医学交叉点的作用，探索了它如何调节新的功能性神经元的形成，并概述了与其他信号通路的相互作用。我们考虑了进化和跨物种比较方面，并将可用的结果整合到正常生理与病理条件的背景下。我们还讨论了神经递质在大脑大小调节中的潜在作用及其对细胞替代疗法的影响。
