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Resumen

Aging is a natural human process that produces functional impairment. Numerous hypotheses try to explain human aging, such as seeing aging as an effect of the exhaustion of stem cells. Stem cells have renewal and differentiation capacity and the number of these cells decreases with aging. Brain is one of the most affected organs during aging. The decrease of Neural Stem Cells (NSC) reduces neuronal regeneration, provoking cognitive decline. Neurogenesis occurs in specific niches of the brain: the subventricular zone and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Recent studies have demonstrated that this neurogenesis occurs not only in the childhood but also as the individual ages. It is therefore extremely important to investigate how to maintain neural stem cell function during aging in order to reduce cognitive decline.