This page catalogs biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies developing neural stem cell (NSC) and neural progenitor cell (NPC) therapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD). These approaches represent a distinct category within regenerative medicine, focusing specifically on:
This differs from broader cell therapy approaches (covered in AD Cell Therapy Companies) by specifically targeting the neural stem/progenitor cell compartment within the neurogenic niches of the adult brain.
| Approach | Description | Companies |
|---|---|---|
| Exogenous NSC Transplantation | Direct delivery of neural stem cells to replace lost neurons | Nostro Therapeutics, Neuralstem |
| iPSC-Derived NPCs | Patient-specific neural progenitors from iPSCs | Neurowonder, Cellize, StemoniX, Anagenesis |
| Endogenous NSC Activation | Stimulate own NSC pools in SVZ and hippocampus | ReProCells, Neurosphere |
Status: Preclinical
Nostro Therapeutics is focused on developing neural stem cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. Their approach involves proprietary NSC lines engineered for optimal survival, integration, and功能性 in the AD brain.
Status: Discovery (AD)
Neuralstem pioneered the development of neural stem cell therapies and has advanced NSI-566, a human neural stem cell line, through clinical trials for stroke and ALS. The company is exploring applications in AD.
Status: Preclinical
Neurowonder is developing patient-specific iPSC-derived neural progenitor cell (NPC) therapies for AD. Their platform focuses on generating NPCs that can differentiate into cholinergic neurons to restore basal forebrain function.
Status: Preclinical
Cellize specializes in scalable iPSC-derived neural cell manufacturing. Their platform produces high-quality NPCs and neurons for AD therapy applications, with a focus on consistent, bankable cell products.
Status: Preclinical
StemoniX provides iPSC-derived neural cells for disease modeling and therapeutic development. Their microbrain® and other platforms enable scalable production of neural cells for AD applications.
Status: Preclinical
Anagenesis is developing allogeneic iPSC-derived neural progenitor cell therapies for AD. Their immuno-evasive NPC lines are designed to avoid immune rejection, enabling off-the-shelf allogeneic products.
Status: Discovery
ReProCells focuses on activating the brain's endogenous neural stem cell populations for regeneration. Their small molecule approach aims to stimulate neurogenesis in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and dentate gyrus.
Status: Preclinical
Neurosphere develops biologics and small molecules that expand and direct endogenous neural stem cell differentiation. Their platform targets the neurogenic niches to promote neuronal replacement in AD.
| Company | Approach | Development Stage | Cell Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nostro Therapeutics | NSC Transplantation | Preclinical | Allogeneic NSCs |
| Neuralstem | NSC Transplantation | Discovery | Human neural stem cells |
| Neurowonder | iPSC-Derived NPCs | Preclinical | Autologous iPSCs |
| Cellize | iPSC-Derived NPCs | Preclinical | Allogeneic iPSCs |
| StemoniX | iPSC-Derived NPCs | Preclinical | hiPSC-derived |
| Anagenesis | iPSC-Derived NPCs | Preclinical | Allogeneic iPSCs |
| ReProCells | Endogenous Activation | Discovery | N/A (small molecules) |
| Neurosphere | Endogenous Activation | Preclinical | N/A (biologics) |
This category focuses specifically on NSC/NPC therapies. Related approaches include:
The two primary neurogenic niches in the adult human brain:
Therapeutic NSC/NPC approaches target these regions for maximal integration.