Stem cell therapy for Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders: current status and future perspectives

Underlying cognitive declines in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are the result of neuron and neuronal process losses due to a wide range of factors. To date, all efforts to develop therapies that target specific AD-related pathways have failed in late-stage human trials. As a result, an emerging consensus in the field is that treatment of AD patients with currently available drug candidates might come too late, likely as a result of significant neuronal loss in the brain. In this regard, cell-replacement therapies, such as human embryonic stem cell- or induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural cells, hold potential for treating AD patients. With the advent of stem cell technologies and the ability to transform these cells into different types of central nervous system neurons and glial cells, some success in stem cell therapy has been reported in animal models of AD. However, many more steps remain before stem cell therapies will be clinically feasible for AD and related disorders in humans. In this review, we will discuss current research advances in AD pathogenesis and stem cell technologies; additionally, the potential challenges and strategies for using cell-based therapies for AD and related disorders will be discussed. Alzheimer's disease: Stem cell therapies could halt neurodegeneration Stem cell therapies could help promote brain regeneration and recovery in people with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. In a review article, Yadong Huang and colleagues from the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease at the University of California, San Francisco, USA, discuss the various stem cell strategies that researchers are now considering for treating Alzheimer's disease. Using embryonic or reprogrammed stem cells, some groups are trying to derive nerve cells that can replace those cells destroyed by the disease. Others want to use stem cells to deliver factors that can either protect nerve tissues or clear away the amyloid plaques that clog the brains of patients affected by Alzheimer's disease. Preclinical studies in rodent models have shown some success, but much more research is needed before clinical trials can begin.