The discovery of neural stem cells in the adult mammalian hippocampus has attracted attention and controversy, which both continue to this day. Hippocampal neural stem cells and their immediate progeny, amplifying neuroprogenitor cells, give rise to neurons and astrocytes in the region. Envisioned as possible key for tissue regeneration, whether mobilized endogenously or transplanted exogenously, neural stem cells have been in the eye of both public and science over the course of the past 20 years. These cells are a heterogeneous population, and here, we review different aspects of their heterogeneity from morphology to metabolism and response to different stimuli.
Keywords: Adult hippocampal neurogenesis; Aging; Cell cycle; Lunatic fringe; Metabolism; Neural stem cells; Neuroprogenitors; Notch pathway; Sonic hedgehog pathway; Wnt pathway.