© Springer International Publishing AG 2017 81
A. Birbrair (ed.), Stem Cell Microenvironments and Beyond,
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 1041,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-69194-7_6
Chapter 6
Being a Neural Stem Cell: A Matter
of Character But Defined
by the Microenvironment
Evangelia Andreopoulou, Asterios Arampatzis, Melina Patsoni,
and Ilias Kazanis
Abstract The cells that build the nervous system, either this is a small network of
ganglia or a complicated primate brain, are called neural stem and progenitor cells.
Even though the very primitive and the very recent neural stem cells (NSCs) share
common basic characteristics that are hard-wired within their character, such as the
expression of transcription factors of the SoxB family, their capacity to give rise to
extremely different neural tissues depends significantly on instructions from the
microenvironment. In this chapter we explore the nature of the NSC microenviron-
ment, looking through evolution, embryonic development, maturity and even disease.
Experimental work undertaken over the last 20 years has revealed exciting insight
into the NSC microcosmos. NSCs are very capable in producing their own extracel-
lular matrix and in regulating their behaviour in an autocrine and paracrine manner.
Nevertheless, accumulating evidence indicates an important role for the vasculature,
especially within the NSC niches of the postnatal brain; while novel results reveal
direct links between the metabolic state of the organism and the function of NSCs.
E. Andreopoulou • M. Patsoni
Lab of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
A. Arampatzis
Wellcome Trust- MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Biology Institute, University of Cambridge,
Cambridge, UK
School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
e-mail: [email protected]
I. Kazanis (*)
Lab of Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
Wellcome Trust- MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Biology Institute, University of Cambridge,
Cambridge, UK
e-mail: [email protected]