Adult Neurogenesis (A5) 2011

The ability to generate new neurons in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus provides the adult mammalian brain an important level of plasticity for maintaining cellular homeostasis under physiological conditions, and potentially underlies an injury response under pathological contexts. Yet a full understanding of the neural stem cell niche, basic molecular mechanisms that ultimately dictate the fate of neural stem/progenitor cells, and intrinsic properties that guide the functional integration of newborn neurons in the existing circuitry is still in its infancy. The goal of this Keystone symposium is, by presenting novel mechanistic insights into the regulation and functional implications of adult neurogenesis, both the speakers and audience will gain further understanding, initiate extensive discussion, and promote scientific collaboration regarding the control of self-renewal, survival, and fate specification of neural stem cells in the adult mammalian brain.