Abstract
The importance of adult neurogenesis has
only recently been accepted, resulting in a completely new field of
investigation
within stem cell biology. The regulation and
functional significance of adult neurogenesis is currently an area of
highly
active research. G-protein-coupled receptors
(GPCRs) have emerged as potential modulators of adult neurogenesis.
GPCRs represent
a class of proteins with significant clinical
importance, because approximately 30% of all modern therapeutic
treatments target
these receptors. GPCRs bind to a large class of
neurotransmitters and neuromodulators such as norepinephrine, dopamine,
and
serotonin. Besides their typical role in cellular
communication, GPCRs are expressed on adult neural stem cells and their
progenitors that relay specific signals to regulate
the neurogenic process. This review summarizes the field of adult
neurogenesis
and its methods and specifies the roles of various
GPCRs and their signal transduction pathways that are involved in the
regulation
of adult neural stem cells and their progenitors.
Current evidence supporting adult neurogenesis as a model for
self-repair
in neuropathologic conditions, adult neural stem
cell therapeutic strategies, and potential avenues for GPCR-based
therapeutics
are also discussed
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