Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and stem cell therapy | Stem Cell Research & Therapy | Full Text

Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and stem cell therapy | Stem Cell Research & Therapy | Full Text



Stem Cell Research & Therapy

Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and stem cell therapy

• Thomas Duncan and
• Michael ValenzuelaEmail author

Stem Cell Research & Therapy20178:111

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-017-0567-5

©  The Author(s). 2017

Published: 12 May 2017

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) represents arguably the most significant social, economic, and medical crisis of our time. Characterized by progressive neurodegenerative pathology, AD is first and foremost a condition of neuronal and synaptic loss. Repopulation and regeneration of depleted neuronal circuitry by exogenous stem cells is therefore a rational therapeutic strategy. This review will focus on recent advances in stem cell therapies utilizing animal models of AD, as well as detailing the human clinical trials of stem cell therapies for AD that are currently undergoing development.

Keywords

Alzheimer’s diseaseEmbryonic stem cellsInduced pluripotent stem cellsMesenchymal stem cellsNeural stem cells