Abstract：
Wernicke\'s encephalopathy (WE) is a major central nervous system disorder resulting from thiamine deficiency (TD) in which a number of brain regions can develop serious damage including the thalamus and inferior colliculus. Despite decades of research into the pathophysiology of TD and potential therapeutic interventions, little progress has been made regarding effective treatment following the development of brain lesions and its associated cognitive issues. Recent developments in our understanding of stem cells suggest they are capable of repairing damage and improving function in different maladys. This article puts forward the case for the potential use of stem cell treatment as a therapeutic strategy in WE by first examining the effects of TD on brain functional integrity and its consequences. The second half of the paper will address the future benefits of treating TD with these cells by focusing on their nature and their potential to effectively treat neurodegenerative diseases that share some overlapping pathophysiological features with TD. At the same time, some of the obstacles these cells will have to overcome in order to become a viable therapeutic strategy for treating this potentially life-threatening illness in humans will be highlighted.
摘要：
韦尼克脑病（WE）是由硫胺素缺乏症（TD）引起的主要中枢神经系统疾病，其中许多大脑区域可能发生严重损害，包括丘脑和下丘。尽管对TD的病理生理学和潜在的治疗干预进行了数十年的研究，关于脑部病变发展及其相关认知问题的有效治疗进展甚微.我们对干细胞的理解的最新进展表明，它们能够在不同的疟疾中修复损伤并改善功能。本文通过首先研究TD对脑功能完整性的影响及其后果，提出了干细胞治疗作为WE治疗策略的潜在用途。论文的后半部分将通过关注这些细胞的性质及其有效治疗与TD具有一些重叠病理生理特征的神经退行性疾病的潜力来解决用这些细胞治疗TD的未来益处。同时,这些细胞必须克服的一些障碍，才能成为治疗人类这种潜在威胁生命的疾病的可行治疗策略。
