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Neural stem cells, acetylcholine and Alzheimer's disease

Nature Chemical Biology volume 3, page 435 (2007)Cite this article

To the editor

The study by Diamandis et al.1 in your May issue reported the results of the screening of molecules that affect neurotransmission pathways in a neural stem cell model; many of these molecules had potent effects on neural stem cell proliferation. The discovery of multipotent neural stem cells within the brain has generated interest in finding ways to control their proliferation for therapeutic use. Significantly, the authors showed that neural stem cell proliferation is changed by neuromodulatory agents, suggesting that neural stem cell proliferation could be influenced, in patients, by existing clinically prescribed neuroactive drugs. This scenario opens exciting new possibilities for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, the finding that acetylcholine-receptor antagonists have an antiproliferative effect on neural stem cells has important implications for the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Unit, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, LA1 4YQ, Lancaster, UK

    Nigel J Fullwood

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  1. Nigel J Fullwood
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Fullwood, N. Neural stem cells, acetylcholine and Alzheimer's disease. Nat Chem Biol 3, 435 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio0807-435

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