Neural stem cells and their significance in regeneration processes in the nervous system

: This review includes the literature data and the results of authors' own investigations on identification, cultivation and perspectives of therapeutic application of human and animal regional stem cells. Proliferation of pluripotent stem cells is observed in subventricular area of lateral ventricles and subgranular layer of dentate fascia of hippocampal formation of adult brain of man and animals. Data on the hierarchical organization of gene networks in the regulation of individual development may point to a possible functional role of repeating mini- and microsatellite DNA sequences in stem cell differentiation. The variants of application of human bone marrow as a source of stem cells for repair of damaged brain tissues are considered. It is established that heat shock proteins block the formation of glial scar during neurotransplantation. The viability of stem cells during transplantation may be improved by insertion of genes for neurotrophic growth factors into a genome of transplanted neurons.