Chang HC. Acupuncture in neural stem cell-based therapy for cognitive impairment. World J Stem Cells 2026; 18(10): 119872 [DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.119872]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Hao-Cai Chang, PhD, Assistant Professor, MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, No. 55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510631, Guangdong Province, China. changhc@scnu.edu.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Cell Biology
Article-Type of This Article
editorial
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World J Stem Cells. Oct 26, 2026; 18(10): 119872 Published online Oct 26, 2026. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.119872
Acupuncture in neural stem cell-based therapy for cognitive impairment
Hao-Cai Chang
Hao-Cai Chang, MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, Guangdong Province, China
Hao-Cai Chang, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Chang HC was responsible for the literature review, study conceptualization, and drafting of the original manuscript, and provided critical revisions and supervised the overall work.
AI contribution statement: DeepL was used solely for language polishing to improve clarity and readability. No AI was used for translation, data analysis, or substantive writing assistance.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 62475076; the Key Field Special Project of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, No. 2023ZDZX2022; and the Youth S&T Talent Support Programme of Guangdong Provincial Association for Science and Technology, No. SKXRC2025014.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reports no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Hao-Cai Chang, PhD, Assistant Professor, MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, No. 55 West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510631, Guangdong Province, China. changhc@scnu.edu.cn
Received: February 9, 2026 Revised: February 28, 2026 Accepted: April 1, 2026 Published online: October 26, 2026 Processing time: 260 Days and 4.3 Hours
Abstract
A central barrier to stem cell-based regenerative therapy for dementia extends beyond the cell product itself to the pathological hippocampal niche, which limits engraftment, proliferation, differentiation, and neural circuit integration. In this context, Li et al recently published a study in World Journal of Stem Cells, and they showed that acupuncture enhances the efficacy of neural stem cell transplantation in SAMP8 mice, resulting in improved learning and memory and attenuation of key Alzheimer-like pathological biomarkers, including Aβ and phosphorylated tau. The mechanistic framework is particularly noteworthy: Acupuncture increased miR-124, a neuron-enriched microRNA that can coordinately regulate Notch and Wnt signaling. Increased miR-124 was associated with reduced aberrant Notch activation and with enhanced canonical Wnt/β-catenin and non-canonical Wnt/Ca2+ signaling, with convergence on cyclin D1 to promote neural stem cell proliferation, reduce apoptosis, and enhance differentiation toward neuronal and glial phenotypes. These findings support a “microenvironment-first” strategy in which cell therapy is paired with targeted neuromodulation to improve graft performance. Key next steps include standardizing acupuncture protocols as a therapeutic product, incorporating molecular potency assays based on miR-124/Notch/Wnt signatures, and evaluating the long-term safety and durability of circuit-level benefits.
Core Tip: Dementia is a heterogeneous syndrome in which hippocampal circuit dysfunction is driven, in part, by a hostile microenvironment that compromises grafted neural stem cell (NSC) survival and fate determination. Li et al described a niche-licensing strategy in which acupuncture improves the hippocampal milieu and enhances the efficacy of transplanted NSCs through upregulation of the neuron-enriched miR-124. Increased miR-124 suppresses aberrant Notch signaling while restoring Wnt activity, thereby rebalancing the Notch/Wnt axis, modulating cyclin D1-related cell-cycle dynamics, and promoting NSC proliferation and neuronal differentiation. These effects attenuate Alzheimer-like pathology and improve cognitive function in SAMP8 mice, supporting acupuncture as a promising regenerative neuromodulatory strategy for dementia.
