[Electrical stimulation promote proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells in normal and injured spinal cord].

This article briefly reviews the general understanding of endogenous neural stem cells (eNSCs) in the CNS over the past 50 years. The proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitors continue throughout the lifetime, instead of cell division stopping at the postnatal period. In the spinal cord, these cells differentiate into different kinds of glial cells. Based on his current research in spinal cord injury (SCI), the author reports that the implantation of functional electrical stimulation (FES) in the motor cortex or the peripheral nerve increases cell birth and differentiation of eNSCs in the spinal cord. Furthermore, electrical stimulation promotes remyelination and neural repair. Finally, this article discusses the possibility of the application of eNSOs and FES in electroacupuncture research.