Neurogenesis as an adaptive function of the adult brain

The dogma that the adult mammalian brain does not generate new neurons has been reconsidered as a result of the discoveries of recent decades. In the adult brain, neurogenesis is determined as a process of the transformation of neural stem cells into mature functional neurons. Adult neurogenesis is a developmental process proceeding within the mature nervous system and represents a striking form of neural plasticity, learning and memory functions in the adult brain. This process is dynamically regulated by both intrinsic cues of state-specific cell differentiation and extrinsic neural niche signals. Adult brain neurogenesis opens possibilities for understanding brain functions (such as memory) and working out novel therapeutic strategies that use neural stem cells to repair injured brain structures.