Endogenous neural stem cells and ischemic brain injury

Neural stem cells(NSCs) have the properties of extensive self-renewal and pluripotent differentiation.NSCs existing in the adult brain may provide a valid way for self-repair after brain injury.An increasing number of studies provide evidence that endogenous NSCs can be activated and have the capacity to proliferation,migration,differentiation in response to cerebral ischemia.The activation of endogenous NSCs may play an important role in structural repair and functional recovery after ischemic brain insult.Several factors including excitatory amino acids,nitric oxide synthase and cytokine involve in this process.It is crucial to understand the underlying mechanisms of endogenous NSCs activation for clinical application.