Compounds and methods for increasing neurogenesis

A method for modulating neurogenesis in neural tissue of a patient exhibiting at least one symptom of a central nervous system disorder selected from the group consisting of neurodegenerative disorders, ischemic disorders, neurological traumas, and learning and memory disorders, comprising:

• administrating at least one agent selected from the group consisting of Thyrocalcitonin, Calcitonin, Exendin-3, Exendin-4, and analogs and combinations thereof wherein the agent modulates neurogenesis in the patient, thereby modulating neurogenesis in the neural tissue of the patient.

A method for modulating neurogenesis in vitro comprising the steps of:

• a) culturing a population of neural cells comprising neural stem cells;
• b) adding to the cultured cells at least one neurogenesis modulating agent;
• c) repeating steps b until a desired level of neurogenesis in achieved.

A method for transplanting a population of cells enriched for neural stem cells from a donor to a recipient comprising:

• (a) contacting a population containing neural stem cells or neural progenitor cells derived from a donor with a neurogenesis modulating agent;
• and
• (b) implanting the selected cells into a recipient.

A method for detecting a gene related to modulating neurogenesis comprising the step of:

• (a) administrating a neurogenesis modulating agent to a cell;
• and
• (b) identifying the increase or decrease in expression of a gene in said cell.