Role of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor in the Proliferation and Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells

Issue title: Tau and Beyond for Alzheimer's Disease: A Special Issue dedicated to Dr. Inge Grundke-Iqbal

Guest editors: Alejandra Alonso and Chengxin Gong

Article type: Review Article

Authors: Ding, Jun^{a; b; 1} | He, Zhili^{a; b; 1} | Ruan, Juan^b | Ma, Zilong^b | Liu, Ying^c | Gong, Chengxin^c | Iqbal, Khalid^c | Sun, Shenggang^a | Chen, Honghui^{b; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Neurology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China | [b] Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China | [c] New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Honghui Chen, Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China. E-mail: c_honghui@hotmail.com.

Note: [1] These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract: Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that has been fully studied for its structure, receptor, and signaling pathways and its multiplex effects on neural system, skeletal muscle, and weight control. Recent research demonstrates that CNTF also plays an important role in neurogenesis and the differentiation of neural stem cells. In this article, we summarize the general characteristics of CNTF and its function on neural stem cells, which could be a valuable therapeutic strategy in treating neurological disorders.

Keywords: Ciliary neurotrophic factor, neural stem cell, neurogenesis

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-130527

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 587-592, 2013