%0 Journal Article
%T Roles of cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons as potential neural stem cells in the repair and regeneration of spinal cord injuries.
%A Xiong Y
%A Pi W
%A Zhao W
%A Shi W
%A Yan W
%A Yang H
%A Zhou Y
%A Li Q
%A Yang L
%J Front Cell Dev Biol
%V 12
%N 0
%D 2024
%M 38983786
%F 6.081
%R 10.3389/fcell.2024.1426395
%X Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons (CSF-cNs) represent a distinct group of interneurons characterized by their prominent apical globular protrusions penetrating the spinal cord's central canal and their basal axons extending towards adjacent cells. Identified nearly a century back, the specific roles and attributes of CSF-cNs have just started to emerge due to the historical lack of definitive markers. Recent findings have confirmed that CSF-cNs expressing PKD2L1 possess attributes of neural stem cells, suggesting a critical function in the regeneration processes following spinal cord injuries. This review aims to elucidate the molecular markers of CSF-cNs as potential neural stem cells during spinal cord development and assess their roles post-spinal cord injury, with an emphasis on their potential therapeutic implications for spinal cord repair.