The development of new therapies for psychiatric disorders is of utmost importance, given the enormous toll these disorders pose to society nowadays. This should be based on the identification of neural substrates and mechanisms that underlie disease etiopathophysiology. Adult neural stem cells (NSCs) have been emerging as a promising platform to counteract brain damage. In this perspective article, we put forth a detailed view of how NSCs operate in the adult brain and influence brain homeostasis, having profound implications at both behavioral and functional levels. We appraise evidence suggesting that adult NSCs play important roles in regulating several forms of brain plasticity, particularly emotional and cognitive flexibility, and that NSC dynamics are altered upon brain pathology. Furthermore, we discuss the potential therapeutic value of utilizing adult endogenous NSCs as vessels for regeneration, highlighting their importance as targets for the treatment of multiple mental illnesses, such as affective disorders, schizophrenia, and addiction. Finally, we speculate on strategies to surpass current challenges in neuropsychiatric disease modeling and brain repair.

中文翻译：

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成人神经干细胞作为精神疾病的有希望的靶点。

鉴于这些精神障碍对当今社会造成的巨大损失，开发针对精神障碍的新疗法至关重要。这应该基于对疾病病因病理生理学基础的神经基质和机制的鉴定。成体神经干细胞 (NSCs) 已成为对抗脑损伤的有前途的平台。在这篇观点文章中，我们详细介绍了 NSC 如何在成人大脑中运作并影响大脑稳态，对行为和功能层面都有深远的影响。我们评估的证据表明，成年 NSC 在调节多种形式的大脑可塑性方面发挥着重要作用，尤其是情绪和认知灵活性，并且 NSC 动力学在大脑病理学上发生改变。此外，我们讨论了利用成人内源性神经干细胞作为再生血管的潜在治疗价值，强调了它们作为治疗多种精神疾病（如情感障碍、精神分裂症和成瘾）靶点的重要性。最后，我们推测了克服当前神经精神疾病建模和大脑修复挑战的策略。