Abstract: The role of adult neural stem cells (NSCs) in demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS): Multipotent NSCs hold great potential for cell replacement in diseases and upon injury of the CNS. Originating from radial glial cells during nervous system development, adult NSCs are localized in the subgranular zone of the hippocampus and the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral brain ventricles, the main neurogenic zones of the adult brain. Hippocampal precursor cells (type 1 cells) exhibiting properties of radial glial cells give rise to granule neurons through distinct intermediate precursor cells, and integrate into the hippocampal circuitry [reviewed by Kempermann et al. (2015)]. Likewise, under physiological conditions, neuron generation by mouse SVZ-derived NSCs (also known as type B cells) is the predominant cell fate, which thereby results in large numbers of transient amplifying precursor cells (also known as type C cells) which in turn differentiate into neuroblasts (type A cells). These cells migrate along the rostral migratory stream into the olfactory bulb where they undergo maturation into local interneurons. The structure of the rodent SVZ differs from that of the human SVZ since the proliferative capacity is reduced, and migration of neuroblasts is a rare event in adult humans [reviewed by Lim and Alvarez-Buylla (2016)].