Intervention of Proliferation and Differentiation of Endogenous Neural Stem Cells in the Neurodegenerative Process of Huntington's Disease Phenotype.

The evidence for the existence of neurogenesis in the adult mammalian brain, including humans is now widely accepted. Despite the fact that adult neural stem cells appear to be very promising, a wide range of their unrevealed properties, abilities but also limitations under physiological and especially pathological conditions still need to be investigated and explained. Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by successive degeneration of relatively well-defined neuronal population.

The neurodegenerative process in a neurotoxic rat model and in patients with Huntington's disease: histopathological parallels and differences.

Although Huntington's disease (HD) occurs only in humans, the use of animal models is crucial for HD research. New genetic models may provide novel insights into HD pathogenesis, but their relevance to human HD is problematic, particularly owing to a lower number of typically degenerated and dying striatal neurons and consequent insignificant reactive gliosis. Hence, neurotoxin-induced animal models are widely used for histopathological studies.

Proliferation and differentiation of adult endogenous neural stem cells in response to neurodegenerative process within the striatum.

The ongoing process of neurogenesis in the adult mammalian forebrain suggests the possible capacity for limited self-repair after brain injury. Previously, we have demonstrated that in an animal model of Huntington's disease the neurodegenerative process initiates immediate intensive cell proliferation and differentiation resulting in characteristic enlargement of the subependymal zone (SEZ) of lateral brain ventricles. Now, our interest is focused on the architecture of the neurogenic niche of the SEZ in the identical model, particularly on characteristic features of astrocyte-like cells which are considered to be not only niche cells but also neural stem cells.

Progressive reparative gliosis in aged hosts and interferences with neural grafts in an animal model of Huntington's disease.

1. Neural transplantation in Huntington's diseased patients is currently the only approach in the treatment of this neurodegenerative disorder. The clinical trial, unfortunately, includes only a small number of patients until now, since many important questions have not been answered yet.

[Proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells within the subependymal layer of lateral brain ventricles in response to the neurodegenerative process in the striatum].

It is known that the subependymal layer (SEL) of the lateral brain ventricles' wall is a source of neural stem cells (NSCs) of adult mammalian brain including the human brain. The NSCs in relation to the striatum differentiate only into glial phenotype. Therefore we focused on proliferative activity of NSCs and precursors in the SEL and on the course of their differentiation into the astrocytes in reaction to the neurodegenerative process in the striatum like in Huntington's disease.

Prognostic impact of hemoglobin level prior to radiotherapy on survival in patients with glioblastoma.

Purpose: To evaluate prognostic factors in patients with glioblastoma treated with postoperative or primary radiotherapy.

Patients And Methods: From 1989 to 2000, a total of 100 patients underwent irradiation as part of their initial treatment for glioblastoma. All patients had undergone surgery or biopsy followed by conventional external-beam radiotherapy.