Stem cell and gene therapies for leukodystrophies

Leukodystrophies form a group of rare genetic disorders characterized by the progressive degeneration of white matter in the brain, often presenting in childhood with life-threatening consequences. Current therapeutic options are limited, particularly after symptom onset, and delayed diagnosis exace...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Wenhao Lin, Min Zhang, Sirui Zheng, Qizhou Lian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Molecular Therapy: Methods & Clinical Development
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2329050125001226
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849399015214415872
author Wenhao Lin
Min Zhang
Sirui Zheng
Qizhou Lian
author_facet Wenhao Lin
Min Zhang
Sirui Zheng
Qizhou Lian
author_sort Wenhao Lin
collection DOAJ
description Leukodystrophies form a group of rare genetic disorders characterized by the progressive degeneration of white matter in the brain, often presenting in childhood with life-threatening consequences. Current therapeutic options are limited, particularly after symptom onset, and delayed diagnosis exacerbates disease progression. Stem cell and gene therapies have emerged as promising strategies to address these challenges. Neural stem cells (NSCs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) offer potential for CNS repair through differentiation into neurons and/or glial cells. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) provide a valuable model for studying disease mechanisms, drug screening, and therapeutic development. Additionally, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibit immunomodulatory and secretory properties that may confer therapeutic benefits. Advanced gene therapies, including stem cell-based gene therapy and adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene replacement therapy (GRT), hold promise for curative interventions. This review highlights recent advances and challenges in stem cell and gene therapies for leukodystrophies, proposing a strategic integration of these approaches to maximize therapeutic efficacy by addressing their respective strengths and limitations.
format Article
id doaj-art-e129a2f95bf4446d890b1257dee3a0e1
institution Kabale University
issn 2329-0501
language English
publishDate 2025-09-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Molecular Therapy: Methods & Clinical Development
spelling doaj-art-e129a2f95bf4446d890b1257dee3a0e12025-08-20T03:38:26ZengElsevierMolecular Therapy: Methods & Clinical Development2329-05012025-09-0133310152710.1016/j.omtm.2025.101527Stem cell and gene therapies for leukodystrophiesWenhao Lin0Min Zhang1Sirui Zheng2Qizhou Lian3Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaKey Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaKey Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaKey Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Corresponding author: Qizhou Lian, Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.Leukodystrophies form a group of rare genetic disorders characterized by the progressive degeneration of white matter in the brain, often presenting in childhood with life-threatening consequences. Current therapeutic options are limited, particularly after symptom onset, and delayed diagnosis exacerbates disease progression. Stem cell and gene therapies have emerged as promising strategies to address these challenges. Neural stem cells (NSCs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) offer potential for CNS repair through differentiation into neurons and/or glial cells. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) provide a valuable model for studying disease mechanisms, drug screening, and therapeutic development. Additionally, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibit immunomodulatory and secretory properties that may confer therapeutic benefits. Advanced gene therapies, including stem cell-based gene therapy and adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene replacement therapy (GRT), hold promise for curative interventions. This review highlights recent advances and challenges in stem cell and gene therapies for leukodystrophies, proposing a strategic integration of these approaches to maximize therapeutic efficacy by addressing their respective strengths and limitations.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2329050125001226leukodystrophystem cell therapygene therapyhematopoietic stem cellneural stem cellmesenchymal stem cell
spellingShingle Wenhao Lin
Min Zhang
Sirui Zheng
Qizhou Lian
Stem cell and gene therapies for leukodystrophies
Molecular Therapy: Methods & Clinical Development
leukodystrophy
stem cell therapy
gene therapy
hematopoietic stem cell
neural stem cell
mesenchymal stem cell
title Stem cell and gene therapies for leukodystrophies
title_full Stem cell and gene therapies for leukodystrophies
title_fullStr Stem cell and gene therapies for leukodystrophies
title_full_unstemmed Stem cell and gene therapies for leukodystrophies
title_short Stem cell and gene therapies for leukodystrophies
title_sort stem cell and gene therapies for leukodystrophies
topic leukodystrophy
stem cell therapy
gene therapy
hematopoietic stem cell
neural stem cell
mesenchymal stem cell
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2329050125001226
work_keys_str_mv AT wenhaolin stemcellandgenetherapiesforleukodystrophies
AT minzhang stemcellandgenetherapiesforleukodystrophies
AT siruizheng stemcellandgenetherapiesforleukodystrophies
AT qizhoulian stemcellandgenetherapiesforleukodystrophies