Schwann Cell Cultures: Biology, Technology and Therapeutics.

Paula V Monje

doi:10.3390/cells9081848

Abstract

Schwann cell (SC) cultures from experimental animals and human donors can be prepared using nearly any type of nerve at any stage of maturation to render stage- and patient-specific populations. Methods to isolate, purify, expand in number, and differentiate SCs from adult, postnatal and embryonic sources are efficient and reproducible as these have resulted from accumulated refinements introduced over many decades of work. Albeit some exceptions, SCs can be passaged extensively while maintaining their normal proliferation and differentiation controls. Due to their lineage commitment and strong resistance to tumorigenic transformation, SCs are safe for use in therapeutic approaches in the peripheral and central nervous systems. This review summarizes the evolution of work that led to the robust technologies used today in SC culturing along with the main features of the primary and expanded SCs that make them irreplaceable models to understand SC biology in health and disease. Traditional and emerging approaches in SC culture are discussed in light of their prospective applications. Lastly, some basic assumptions in vitro SC models are identified in an attempt to uncover the combined value of old and new trends in culture protocols and the cellular products that are derived.

Highlights

Schwann cells (SCs) are axon-ensheathing cells that naturally reside in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) of all vertebrate species
This review intended to present the many advantageous features of SC cultures and the well-established protocols used to derive them to introduce the assorted models and technologies available to date. It intended to summarize the progress made since the onset of investigations over 60 years ago to illustrate the strict interrelationship between our understanding of SCs in vitro and in vivo, and the development of methods for SC culturing
The historical perspective is important to realize that many of our modern ideas on SC development and myelination were derived from pioneering studies using cultured tissues and cells

Summary

Introduction

Schwann cells (SCs) are axon-ensheathing cells that naturally reside in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) of all vertebrate species. These glial cells derive from multipotent neural crest precursors that migrate within nascent peripheral nerves and take a long time to develop fully in response to a myriad of axonal and environmental cues [1,2]. Proliferative SC precursors (SCPs) sort individual axons while chaperoning their growth cones as they proceed through the developing peripheral nerve yet without providing ensheathment They continue to mature during embryonic life to eventually form a basal lamina, cease proliferating, restrict their differentiation potential, and ensheath axons as dictated by the type of axon they engage with. With the exception of embryonic SCPs, all SCs are unipotent, lineage-committed cells

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