A Narrative Review on the Role of Stem Cells in Neurodegenerative Disorders

Abstract

Neurodegenerative disorders including Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) involve progressive deterioration in neuronal structure and function leading to severe cognitive and motor decline. The therapeutic approaches primarily manage symptoms and slow disease progression but are unable to restore damaged neural networks and achieve complete recovery. In recent years, stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising regenerative strategy to overcome these therapeutic limitations. This narrative review highlights recent advances in stem cell-based therapies including neural stem cells (NSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Both preclinical and clinical studies demonstrate that stem cells can modulate neuroinflammation, promote neural regeneration, provide neuroprotection, and enhance functional recovery. Emerging technologies such as CRISPR-based gene editing and stem cell-derived organoid models have expanded the potential applications of regenerative medicine in neurological disorders. This review critically discusses current developments, ongoing clinical trials, therapeutic mechanisms, and key challenges associated with stem cell-based interventions, and translational barriers that must be addressed for the successful clinical implementation of stem cell therapies in neurodegenerative diseases.