Effect of neural stem cell niche in neurogenesis

Neural stem cell is a cell type with the ability of self-renewing and the potential to differentiate into neurons, astrocytes or oligodendrocytes. Neurogenesis is beneficial for the recovery of many neurological diseases, such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease and so on. Neurogenesis capacity can maintain through the whole life, which includes the proliferation, migration and differentiation of neural stem cell, as well as the incorporation into the neuronal network of newborn neurons. The self-renewal and differentiation activities of neural stem cell are regulated by the microenvironment, which is defined as neural stem cell niche. Components of neural stem cell niche include cell-cell interactions, cytokines, extracellular matrix and vascular niche. Illustration of neural stem cell niche impact is far more significant for the treatment of certain nervous system diseases. This review summarizes the current understanding of the relationship between neural stem cell niche and the fate of neural stem cell.