Neural Stem Cells and the Future Treatment of Neurological Diseases: Raising the Standard

Neural stem and progenitor cells offer great potential for treatment of neurological disorders. Both neurologic and neurological were used in text; the latter was more common. Note changes have been made to match in title and text body. The current strategies of isolation, expansion, and characterization of these cells require in vitro manipulations that can change their intrinsic properties, specifically with the acquisition of chromosomal abnormalities. We have analyzed the rationale of using neural stem cells in neurological disorders, the caveats of current isolation and in vitro culture protocols of neural precursors. Addressing these challenges is crucial for translation of neural stem cell therapy to the clinic.