Optimal mesenchymal stem cell delivery routes to enhance neurogenesis for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common cause of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive loss of memory in addition to cortical atrophy. Despite decades of research and therapeutic trials in AD, an effective treatment is yet to be developed. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as promising tools for the treatment of AD, and clinical trials have been completed or are in progress. MSCs secrete various cytotropic factors that may exert beneficial effects in AD. The route of administration is an important factor to enhance MSC based treatment effects for AD. Among various routes, the intracerebroventricular route may possess several advantages such as the activation of neurogenesis, compared to other routes for AD treatments. In this review, we will focus on recent pre-clinical and clinical advances in MSC-based treatment of AD, specifically in relation to enhancement of endogenous neurogenesis.