What is the Difference Between Neural Stem Cells and Neural Progenitor Cells

The key difference between neural stem cells and neural progenitor cells is that neural stem cells are uncommitted cells that are capable of generating all neural lineages, while neural progenitor cells are cells committed to giving rise to only one category of neural components.

Neural stem cells and neural progenitor cells are two types of cells in the central nervous system. Neural stem cells are self-renewing cells having the ability to generate all neural lineages. They can give rise to neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Neural progenitor cells are committed to giving rise to only one category of neural components. They differentiate into regional and spatially distinct neurons and glial cells.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Neural Stem Cells 
3. What are Neural Progenitor Cells
4. Similarities – Neural Stem Cells and Neural Progenitor Cells
5. Neural Stem Cells vs Neural Progenitor Cells in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Neural Stem Cells vs Neural Progenitor Cells

What are Neural Stem Cells?

Neural stem cells are uncommitted multipotent somatic cells that are capable of generating all neural lineages. Therefore, they give rise to neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in the CNS. Neural stem cells can self-renew. They generate major cell types of the mammalian CNS. These cells are immature or unspecialized cells.

Neural stem cells are present in both embryo and adult brains. In adult brains, neural stem cells are rich in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle. Neural stem cells have therapeutic potential. They act as a promising source for spinal cord injury cell therapy. In addition, they are used in the treatment of brain cancer.

What are Neural Progenitor Cells?

Neural progenitor cells are the progenitor cells of the CNS that have become a lineage, committed to giving rise to only one category of neural components. Neural progenitor cells differentiate only into regional and spatially distinct neurons and glial cells. They do not produce non-neural cells in the CNS. Neural progenitor cells are found in both developing embryo and adult mammalian brains.

When compared to neural stem cells, neural progenitor cells do not exhibit the ability to self-renew. They can only undergo a limited number of replication cycles. Similar to neural stem cells, neural progenitor cells also have two well-characterized niches in the adult brain. They are the “subgranular zone (SGZ)” of the dentate gyrus and the “adult SVZ” surrounding the lateral ventricles of the mature cerebral cortex.

What are the Similarities Between Neural Stem Cells and Neural Progenitor Cells?

• Both neural stem cells and neural progenitor cells are cells of the CNS.
• They are found in the embryo as well as in the adult brain.
• Progenitor cells descend from stem cells.
• Both stem cells and progenitor cells have therapeutic value.

What is the Difference Between Neural Stem Cells and Neural Progenitor Cells?

Neural stem cells are the multipotent unspecialized cell in the central nervous system that can give rise to all cell types of the brain, while neural progenitor cells are progenitor cells in the central nervous system, which can only give rise to neurons and glial cells. Neural stem cells are capable of self-renewal, while neural progenitor cells do not exhibit self-renewal. So, this is the key difference between neural stem cells and neural progenitor cells. Moreover, neural stem cells can proliferate without a limit, while neural progenitor cells have limited proliferative ability.

The below infographic lists the differences between neural stem cells and neural progenitor cells in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Neural Stem Cells vs Neural Progenitor Cells

Neural stem cells are unspecialized multipotent cells in the central nervous system that can give rise to neurons, astrocytes, or oligodendrocytes. Neural progenitor cells are progenitor cells in the central nervous system that can give rise to regional and spatially distinct neurons and glial cells. Neural stem cells are self-renewable, while neural progenitor cells can undergo a limited number of replication cycles. The niche of the neural stem cells in the adult brain is the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle whereas two niches of the neural progenitor cells in the adult brain are the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus and the adult subventricular zone (SVZ) surrounding the lateral ventricles of the mature cerebral cortex. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between neural stem cells and neural progenitor cells.

Reference:

1. Martínez-Cerdeño, Verónica, and Stephen C Noctor. “Neural Progenitor Cell Terminology.” Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, Frontiers Media S.A., 6 Dec. 2018.
2. “Mini-Review: Neural Stem Cells.” STEMCELL Technologies.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Neural Stem Cells and Growth Hormone Receptor” By Pdevesap – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Neurogenic niches in the developing brain” By Stolp HB, Liddelow SA, Sá-Pereira I, Dziegielewska KM and Saunders NR – Stolp HB, Liddelow SA, Sá-Pereira I, Dziegielewska KM and Saunders NR (2013) Immune responses at brain barriers and implications for brain development and neurological function in later life. Front. Integr. Neurosci. 7:61. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2013.00061 http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnint.2013.00061/full, (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia