Neural stem/progenitor cell therapy for Alzheimer disease in preclinical rodent models: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory impairments, and there is no effective therapy. Neural stem/progenitor cell (NSPC) has emerged as potential novel therapy for AD, and we aim to explore whether neural stem/progenitor cell therapy was effective for rodent models of AD. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science up to December 6, 2022. The outcomes included cognitive function, pathological features and BDNF. The GetData Graph Digitizer software (version 2.26) was applied to extract numerical values, and RevMan 5.3 and Stata 16 were used to analyze data. The SYRCLE risk of bias tool was used to assess study quality. Results We evaluated 22 mice studies and 8 rat studies. Compared to control groups, cognitive function of NSPC groups of both mice studies (SMD = − 1.96, 95% CI − 2.47 to − 1.45, I 2 = 75%, P