This book summarizes early pioneering achievements in the field of human neural stem cell (hNSC) research and combines them with the latest advances in stem cell technology, including reprogramming and gene editing. The powerful potential of hNSC to generate and repair the developing and adult CNS has been confirmed by numerous experimental in vitro and in vivo studies. The book presents methods for hNSC derivation and discusses the mechanisms underlying NSC in vitro fate decisions and their in vivo therapeutic mode of action. The long-standing dogma that the human central nervous system (CNS) lacks the ability to regenerate was refuted at the end of the 20th century, when evidence of the presence of neurogenic zones in the adult human brain was found. These neurogenic zones are home to human neural stem cells (hNSCs), which are capable of self-renewing and differentiating into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. NSCs isolated from human CNS have a number of clinical advantages, especially the innate potential to differentiate into functional neural cells. Nevertheless, their full clinical exploitation has been hindered by limited access to the tissue and low expansion potential. The search for an alternative to CNS sources of autologous, therapeutically competent hNSCs was the driving force for the many studies proving the in vitro plasticity of different somatic stem cells to generate NSCs and their functional progeny. Now the era of induced pluripotent stem cells has opened entirely new opportunities to achieve research and therapeutic goals with the aid of hNSCs.

Inhalt
I. Derivation and/or generation of human neural stem cells1. Derivation of neural stem cells from the developing and adult human brain. Maeve Caldwell caldwelm@tcd.ie

2. Generation of neural stem cells from human after-birth tissues. David Eve deve@health.usf.edu, Poul Sanberg psanberg@usf.edu, Krystyna Domanska-Janik krystyna.dj@gmail.com, Leonora Buzanska buzanska@imdik.pan.pl 3. Derivation of neural stem cells from human somatic tissues. Anna Sarnowska a_sarnowska@o2.pl, Anna Dbrowska-Figiel ania.dabrowska2703@gmail.com4. Generation of human neural stem cells from induced pluripotent stem cells. Eva Sykova sykova@biomed.cas.cz, Pavela Jendelova jendel@biomed.cas.cz 5. Generation of human neural stem cells by direct phenotypic conversion. Kyung-Sun Kang kangpub@snu.ac.kr
   
   II. Differentiation and underlying mechanisms6. Epigenetic regulation of human neural stem cell differentiation. Kinichi Nakashima kin1@scb.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp, Sayako Katada sakatada@scb.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp, Mizuki Hondamizuki@scb.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp7. Integrated genome regulation in human neural stem cells. Stachowiak MK mks4@buffalo.edu
3. Human neural stem cells and glial specification. Milosz Pekny. Milos.Pekny@neuro.gu.se
4. Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into motor neurons. Ping Wu, piwu@utmb.edu
5. Microenvironmental cues in human neural stem cell fate commitment. Leonora Buzanska buzanska@imdik.pan.pl, Marzena Zychowicz marzenazychowicz@gmail.com
6. Generation of human fetal region specific NSC by CRISP/COS genome editing. Steven Pollard Steven.pollard@ed.ac.uk

7. Generation of region specific human brain organoids. Hongjung Song, shongju1@jhmi.edu

   III. Therapeutic potential of Human neural stem cells13. Functional Multipotency of hNSCs and Its Applications in Spinal Cord Injury Research and Treatment. Yang D. Teng yang_teng@hms.harvard.edu

8. Human neural stem cells for ischemic stroke treatment. Zaal Kokaia zaal.kokaia@med.lu.se
9. Modeling pediatric and neuropsychiatric diseases using human iPSC. Evan Snyder esnyder@sbpdiscovery.org
10. Neural stem cell dysfunction in human brain diseases. Jacek Jaworski jaworski@iimcb.gov.pl, Ewa Liszewska eliszewska@iimcb.gov.pl
11. Human neural stem cells for neurodegenerative diseases treatment. Angelo Vescovi vescovia@gmail.com