Abstract: Neural stem cells are a category of cells with self-renewal and differentiation potential. Proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells have closely relation with growth factor, cell factor, environmental signal, and so on. In recent years, evidence indicates that neural stem cells possessing multipotency naturally occur in adult brain. The found of adult neural stem cells have changed the theory that central nervous system cannot regenerative. Chinese Traditional Medicine can effectively induce adult neural stem cells to proliferate and differentiate, opening up unprecedented direction in the research for the treatment of nerve regeneration, and showing great potency for curing cerebral ischemic injury.

Key words: neural stem cells, adult, proliferation, differentiation, Chinese Traditional Medicine, cerebral ischemic injury, review