Neural Stem Cell Dynamics in Adult Neurogenesis

In the adult mammalian brain, specialised stem cells residing in discrete regions retain the capacity to generate new neurons throughout life. Primarily located in the hippocampal dentate gyrus and the subventricular zone, these neural stem cells (NSCs) balance periods of dormancy and proliferation to sustain tissue plasticity. Activation of quiescent NSCs involves a tightly regulated sequence of molecular events that govern cell-cycle entry, fate commitment and subsequent neuronal integration. Extrinsic cues from the surrounding niche, including growth factors, extracellular matrix components and immune cells, cooperate with cell-intrinsic programmes such as transcriptional regulators and autophagy machinery to determine whether NSCs remain dormant or embark on a neurogenic trajectory. Ageing and pathological inflammation gradually alter the niche environment, leading to a decline in NSC activation and impaired cognitive function. By elucidating the dynamic interplay between signalling pathways, cellular metabolism and niche architecture, researchers aim to harness NSC potential for regenerative therapies in neurodegenerative disorders, brain injury and mood disorders. Understanding the mechanisms that control NSC quiescence, proliferation and differentiation is thus central to developing strategies that restore or enhance adult brain plasticity.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have mapped the molecular evolution of hippocampal NSCs from youthful activation through age-associated decline. Single-cell profiling, combined with spatial gene expression mapping, has revealed that early infiltration of inflammatory cells into the ageing dentate gyrus disrupts key neurogenic programmes and accelerates the transition of NSCs into a non-productive state. In parallel, work on autophagy pathways has demonstrated that the establishment of NSC quiescence during development requires intrinsic turnover of protein aggregates via autophagosome assembly. Manipulation of core autophagy regulators can either impede or promote the entry of developmental progenitors into long-lived, dormant NSC pools, highlighting a fundamental mechanism underlying adult stem cell reservoir formation.

Neural Stem Cell Dynamics in Adult Neurogenesis publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in neural stem cell dynamics in adult neurogenesis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Neural stem cell (NSC): A proliferative progenitor with the capacity to self-renew and differentiate into neurons and glial cells.

Quiescence: A reversible, non-dividing state in which stem cells conserve their proliferative potential.

Neurogenic niche: The specialised microenvironment that provides structural and molecular support for NSC maintenance and fate determination.

Autophagy: Cellular degradation process that recycles damaged proteins and organelles, crucial for NSC state transitions.

Spatial transcriptomics: A technique that combines gene expression profiling with spatial localisation within intact tissue sections.

References

1. Multimodal transcriptomics reveal neurogenic aging trajectories and age-related regional inflammation in the dentate gyrus. Nature Neuroscience (2025).
2. Autophagy drives the conversion of developmental neural stem cells to the adult quiescent state. Nature Communications (2023).
3. Neurogenesis in the Striatum of the Adult Human Brain. Cell (2014).
4. IGF-I: A Key Growth Factor that Regulates Neurogenesis and Synaptogenesis from Embryonic to Adult Stages of the Brain. Frontiers in Neuroscience (2016).