Identification and functional characterization of CD133⁺GFAP⁺CD117⁺Sca1⁺ neural stem cells

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are responsible for maintaining the nervous system and repairing damages. Utility of NSCs could provide a novel solution to treat neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. However, we have no idea the exact phenotypic and functional characteristics of NSCs and their precise role in geriatric neurological and aging-related diseases. In this study, C57BL/6 mice were used to isolate and identify CD133⁺GFAP⁺CD117⁺Sca1⁺ cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus region of the mouse brain as a novel neural stem cell population, in terms of cell phenotype, self-renewal capacity, and differentiation capability. With increasing in aging, the function, total cell number, and self-renewal capacity of CD133⁺GFAP⁺CD117⁺Sca1⁺ cells decreased, and the activity of differentiated cells also decreased. Meanwhile, we investigated differentially expressed genes in order to further classify their gene signature and pathways associated with their functional changes. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the existence of a rare population of NSCs in the hippocampal dentate gyrus region. Identification of specific NSCs offers ample opportunities for alleviating neural diseases.