[An overview on autophagy in neural stem cells].

Neural stem cells (NSCs) offer great promise for the treatment of multiple neurodegenerative diseases. However, the survival and differentiation rates of grafted cells in the host brain need to be enhanced. In this regard, understanding of the underlying mechanism of NSCs survival and death is of great importance for the implications of stem cell-based therapeutic application in the treatments of neurological disorders. Autophagy is a conserved proteolytic mechanism required for maintaining cellular homeostasis, which can affect NSCs fate through regulating their biological behaviors, such as survival and proliferation. In this mini-review, we will summarize the effects of autophagy on NSCs fate including survival, apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation, as well as the underlying mechanisms.