Studies on neural cell replacement therapy appear in the literature as far
back as the 19th century. While FDA-approved clinical trials have been ongoing since
the 1980s, pre-clinical and clinical outcomes have been variable, and the field is still
widely considered to be in its infancy today. Stem cells have properties that are suited
for repair of the injured central nervous system (CNS), but a primary question is how
these cells can best be grafted to produce long term functional benefit to the host
environment. Among the challenges in neural cell transplantation is controlling the
ultimate characteristics of grafted cells, pertaining to their survival, phenotypes and
performance. This chapter will discuss phenotypic fates and functional integration of
neural tissue grafted in animal models of CNS disease, with focus on researchers’
current ability to anticipate graft behavior. Topics will encompass conventional and
novel procedures used to treat CNS disorders with neural tissue. We will give attention
to neural stem and precursor cells derived from adult, fetal and embryonic sources, as
well as induced pluripotent sources, and finally the differentiated progeny of these
cells.
Keywords: Astrocytes, Cell replacement therapy, Embryonic stem cells, Enzyme
replacement, Graft, Immunomodulation, Induced pluripotent stem cells, Neural
stem cells, Neurogenesis, Neuroinflammation, Neurons, Precursor cells,
Regenerative medicine, Remyelination, Spinal cord injury, Stroke, Subgranular
zone, Subventricular zone, Tissue culture, Transplant, Trophic support.
