Glia: an emerging target for neurological disease therapy

Therapeutic strategies using stem cells for treating neurological diseases are receiving more attention as the scientific community appreciates cell-autonomous contributions to several diseases of the central nervous system. The transplantation of stem cells from various sources is now being employed for both neuronal and glial replacement. This review provides an assessment of glial contributions to some of the central nervous system diseases and the advancements in cellular replacement approaches. The rationale for glial replacement in individual diseases and the potential hurdles for cell-replacement strategies are also emphasized. The significant progress in the field of stem cell biology with the advent of tools such as induced pluripotent stem cells and imaging techniques holds promise for the clinical application of cell therapeutics.