Stem and Progenitor Cell-Derived Astroglia Therapies for Neurological Diseases

Astroglia are a major cellular constituent of the central nervous system (CNS) and play crucial roles in brain development, function, and integrity. Increasing evidence demonstrates that astroglia dysfunction occurs in a variety of neurological disorders ranging from CNS injuries to genetic diseases and chronic degenerative conditions. These new insights herald the concept that transplantation of astroglia could be of therapeutic value in treating the injured or diseased CNS. Recent technological advances in the generation of human astroglia from stem and progenitor cells have been prominent. We propose that a better understanding of the suitability of astroglial cells in transplantation as well as of their therapeutic effects in animal models may lead to the establishment of astroglia-based therapies to treat neurological diseases.

TrendsHuman astroglia are efficiently differentiated from human fetal tissue-derived progenitor cells and human pluripotent stem cells.Transplanted stem and progenitor cell-derived astroglia exert therapeutic benefits in a variety of animal models of neurological disorders.Transplanted astroglia promote neural repair and regeneration via multifaceted mechanisms including replacing diseased astrocytes, assisting oligodendroglia differentiation and myelination, regulating neuronal functions, and maintaining blood–brain barrier/CNS homeostasis.Astroglia-based cell therapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy to treat CNS injury and neurological disease.