Traditional Chinese Medicine Monomers: Novel Strategy for Endogenous Neural Stem Cells Activation After Stroke

Abstract

Stem cell therapy, which has become a potential regenerative medical treatment and a promising approach for treating brain injuries induced by different types of cerebrovascular disease, has various application methods. Activation of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) can enable infarcted neuron replacement and promote neural networks’ regeneration without the technical and ethical issues associated with the transplantation of exogenous stem cells. Thus, NSC activation can be a feasible strategy to treat central nervous system (CNS) injury. The potential molecular mechanisms of drug therapy for the activation of endogenous NSCs have gradually been revealed by researchers. Traditional Chinese medicine monomers (TCMs) are active components extracted from Chinese herbs, and some of them have demonstrated the potential to activate proliferation and neurogenesis of NSCs in CNS diseases. Ginsenoside Rg1, astragaloside IV (AST), icariin (ICA), salvianolic acid B (Sal B), resveratrol (RES), curcumin, artesunate (ART), and ginkgolide B (GB) have positive effects on NSCs via different signaling pathways and molecules, such as the Wingless/integrated/β-catenin (Wnt/β-catenin) signaling pathway, the sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1). This article may provide further motivation for researchers to take advantage of TCMs in studies on CNS injury and stem cell therapy.

What can traditional Chinese medicine do for adult neurogenesis?

“…Since neurogenesis is related to a variety of neurological and psychiatric diseases, researchers have begun to try to alleviate diseases by influencing neurogenesis and have made some progress. The amelioration of diseases by neurogenesis mainly includes intracerebral transplantation and endogenous activation of NSCs ( Chrostek et al, 2019 ; Wang J. et al, 2021 ). Although clinical data or evidence of a causal relationship between adult neurogenesis and disease are still lacking, a growing body of evidence in rodents and non-human primates indicates that improving adult neurogenesis contributes to restoring brain function in neuropsychiatric disorders.…”

The potential of plant extracts in cell therapy

“…Endogenous NSCs are abundantly in the subventricular region of the hippocampal granular area and the germinal area of the cerebrum. They differentiate cells according to the needs of brain structure and function [ 80 ]. NSCs are primarily used to remedy central nervous system injury and degenerative diseases.…”

Novel perspectives on the therapeutic role of cryptotanshinone in the management of stem cell behaviors for high-incidence diseases

“…Despite an accumulating body of research indicates the impact of Chinese herbal monomers on NSCs ( Wang et al, 2021d ; Wang et al, 2021b ), the precise mechanisms are still not fully understood yet. There is no doubt that STAT3 has been a hot topic in the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs ( Zyuz’kov et al, 2020 ; Li et al, 2021 ).…”