I am frequently surprised by how often people misuse the terms “neural” and “neuronal” when speaking about stem cells. Admittedly, the differences are subtle, but they are extremely important. In an effort to clarify terminology, this article explains and defines a range of neural stem cell (NSC) terms.
Neural vs. Neuronal Stem Cells
In this article:
- History of Neural Stem Cell Research
- Neural Stem Cell Terminology
- Difference Between Neural and Neuronal Cells
History of Neural Stem Cell Research
In 1992, Reynolds and Weiss were the first to isolate neural stem cells from the striatal tissue of adult mice brain tissue, including the subventricular zone, which is a neurogenic area. Since then, neural progenitor and stem cells have been isolated from various areas of the adult central nervous system, including non-neurogenic areas like the spinal cord, and from other species, including humans.
Neural Progenitor Cells
During the development of the nervous system, neural progenitor cells can either stay in the pool of proliferating undifferentiated cells or exit the cell cycle and differentiate.
Over the past few years, neuronal stem and progenitor cells have become of profound interest to the research community due to their potential to be used in drug discovery and delivery applications, as well as for tools of neural toxicology assessment.
Treatment of Various Types of Neurological Disorders
NSC transplantation also represents a ground-breaking approach for the treatment of a range of chronic neurological diseases and acute central nervous system injuries, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and spinal cord injury, among other conditions.
Neural Stem Cell Terminology
Neurogenesis is the process by which neurons are created. This process is most active during pre-natal development when neurogenesis is responsible for populating the growing brain.
Neural Progenitor Cells Differentiation
During the development of the nervous system, neural progenitor cells can either stay in the pool of proliferating undifferentiated cells or exit the cell cycle and differentiate.1 A limited number of new neurons are also generated during adulthood.
Neural Progenitor Cells vs Neural Stem Cells
First, there is utility in clarifying the difference between neural stem and neural progenitor cells:
- Neural stem cells (NSCs) are the self-renewing, multipotent cells that differentiate into the main phenotypes of the nervous system. These cell types include neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes.
- Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) are the progeny of stem cell division that normally undergoes a limited number of replication cycles in vivo.
Difference Between Neural and Neuronal Cells
The distinction between neural and neuronal is also very interesting because the terms are used somewhat interchangeably among the scientific community, even though one is more specific and the other is broader in nature.
Below, we clarify the difference between the terms neural and neuronal:
- Neural means “pertaining to a nerve or nerves, which are the cordlike bundles of fibers made up of neurons.”2 This is a broader term because it pertains to any structure of the nervous system, including neurons, glia, and more.
- Neuronal means “pertaining to neurons, which are the conducting cells of the nervous system.”3 This is a more specific and defined term because it only pertains to neurons.
Differentiation into Neurons
Since both terms are ultimately descriptive of neurons, it is unsurprising that the scientific community sometimes uses the terms “neural” and “neuronal” to refer to the same population of stem cells characterized by the functional potential to differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes.
However, the technical differences between the terms are essential to understanding them.
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Why do you think the distinction between the neural and neuronal cells is important to clarify? Share your opinion in the comments section below.
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FOOTNOTES
1 Lobjois, et al. “Forcing neural progenitor cells to cycle is insufficient to alter cell-fate decision and timing of neuronal differentiation in the spinal cord.” Neural Develop. 2008 Feb 13;3:4.
2 Biology Online, Dictionary. Available at: http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Neural. Accessed Jan 13, 2016.
3 Biology Online, Dictionary. Available at: http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Neuronal. Accessed Jan 13, 2016.
This is a really great article, particularly the clear differentiation (bio pun intended) between neural and neuronal. Do you mind if I add your definitions (with a link back) to our Author Resource Center article on “pesky pairs” of confusing words? https://www.aje.com/en/arc/editing-tip-pesky-pairs-similar-sounding-words/. Right now, we don’t have much that’s science-specific, but neural/neuronal could be a great start.
Thanks!
Hi Ben – Most certainly, you are welcome to include our definitions (with a link back) in your article on “pesky pairs” of confusing words. Many thanks for asking.
Thanks, Cade. I’ve updated our article with the definitions and link (https://www.aje.com/en/arc/editing-tip-pesky-pairs-similar-sounding-words/). Thank you so much for sharing!