Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Neurodegenerative Disease
Summary
Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) refers to the lifelong generation of new neurons within the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, a region pivotal for memory formation and mood regulation. In healthy brains, neural stem cells in the subgranular zone proliferate, differentiate and integrate into existing circuits, supporting synaptic plasticity and cognitive resilience. In neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, this regenerative capacity is markedly reduced. Pathological hallmarks—including amyloid‐β accumulation, tau pathology, α‐synuclein aggregates and chronic neuroinflammation—disrupt progenitor cell proliferation, neuronal maturation and network integration. Impairments in AHN correlate with early cognitive decline, diminished pattern separation and impaired spatial memory. Conversely, strategies that restore neurogenic activity—ranging from small‐molecule modulators and growth‐factor delivery to environmental enrichment—hold promise for bolstering endogenous repair mechanisms. Elucidating the interplay between disease pathology, neurogenic niches and systemic factors is therefore critical for the development of regenerative therapies and early biomarkers, with potential to mitigate cognitive deficits and slow disease progression.
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Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Neurodegenerative Disease publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in adult hippocampal neurogenesis in neurodegenerative disease across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN): The process by which new neurons are generated and integrated into the dentate gyrus of the adult hippocampus.
Dentate gyrus: A subregion of the hippocampus that contains the subgranular zone and is essential for the formation of new episodic memories.
Subgranular zone (SGZ): The niche within the dentate gyrus where neural stem cells reside and give rise to new neurons.
Neural stem cell (NSC): A self‐renewing progenitor cell capable of differentiating into neurons, astrocytes or oligodendrocytes.
Neurodegenerative disease: A progressive disorder characterised by the selective loss of neurons and synapses, leading to cognitive and motor deficits.
References
- Agomirs upregulating carboxypeptidase E expression rescue hippocampal neurogenesis and memory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease. Translational Neurodegeneration (2024).
- Trametinib activates endogenous neurogenesis and recovers neuropathology in a model of Alzheimer’s disease. Experimental & Molecular Medicine (2023).
- Predicting progression to Alzheimer’s disease with human hippocampal progenitors exposed to serum. Brain (2023).
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