Stroke Recovery: Generation of Highly Pure Astroglia Progenitors from Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Their Neuroprotective Effects

The document discusses a study by Jiang et al. where highly pure populations of astroglia progenitors were generated from human embryonic stem cells. A subpopulation expressing the transcription factor Olig2 was found to have strong neuroprotective effects against oxidative stress and glutamate toxicity in vitro. When rats with global cerebral ischemia received hippocampal transplants of human Olig2+ astroglia, they showed increased synaptogenesis and improved learning and memory in water maze trials. This suggests that Olig2+ astroglia may promote recovery after stroke due to differential expression of factors related to synaptic function. The study's findings indicate a potential therapeutic use of astroglia in promoting recovery from stroke.