Direct conversion of one somatic cell type into another represents a promising approach to obtain patient-specific cells for numerous applications. Here, we describe a method allowing the transdifferentiation of human postnatal fibroblasts into functional Schwann cells via a transient progenitor stage. The conversion process is solely based on chemical treatment and does not require the overexp...

Peripheral nerve injury is followed by a wave of Schwann cell proliferation in the distal nerve stumps. To resolve the role of Schwann cell proliferation during functional recovery of the injured nerves, we used a mouse model in which injury-induced Schwann cell mitotic response is ablated via targeted disruption of cyclin D1. In the absence of distal Schwann cell proliferation, axonal regenera...

The myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) is an integral membrane glycoprotein that is located in the periaxonal membrane of myelin-forming Schwann cells. On the basis of this localization, it has been hypothesized that MAG plays a structural role in (a) forming and maintaining contact between myelinating Schwann cells and the axon (the 12-14-nm periaxonal space) and (b) maintaining the Schwann ...

Neuroblastoma inflicts mostly on children, and the pathogenesis remains elusive. Clinical diagnosis and therapeutic approaches are still on the incipient stage, so further understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the disease is necessary. Inflammation has been commonly regarded as a hallmark in tumorigenesis and development, and we identified a new inflammatory factor, HMGB1, i...

Myelin is a multispiraled extension of glial membrane that surrounds axons. How glia extend a surface many-fold larger than their body is poorly understood. Schwann cells are peripheral glia and insert radial cytoplasmic extensions into bundles of axons to sort, ensheath, and myelinate them. Laminins and beta1 integrins are required for axonal sorting, but the downstream signals are largely unk...

The involvement of the adhesion molecules L1, N-CAM, and J1 in adhesion and neurite outgrowth in the peripheral nervous system was investigated. We prepared Schwann cells and fibroblasts (from sciatic nerves) and neurons (from dorsal root ganglia) from 1-d mice. These cells were allowed to interact with each other in a short-term adhesion assay. We also measured outgrowth of dorsal root ganglio...

To investigate the function of laminin in peripheral nerve development, we specifically disrupted the laminin 1 gene in Schwann cells. Disruption of laminin 1 gene expression resulted in depletion of all other laminin chains known to be expressed in Schwann cells. Schwann cells lacking laminin do not extend processes required for initiating axonal sorting and mediating axon–Schwann cell interac...

Low levels of survival of motor neuron (SMN) protein lead to spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The major pathological hallmark of SMA is a loss of lower motor neurons from spinal cord and peripheral nerve. However, recent studies have revealed pathological changes in other cells and tissues of the neuromuscular system. Here, we demonstrate intrinsic, SMN-dependent defects in Schwann cells in SMA. ...

Schwann cells exhibit a high degree of plasticity in adult peripheral nerves after mechanical injury; they have, therefore, been implicated in promoting nerve regeneration. However, Schwann cell behavior after ischemic injury has not yet been elucidated. To determine how Schwann cell plasticity may contribute to recovery from ischemic neuropathy, we used a rat model in which ischemia was induce...