The repair Schwann cell and its function in regenerating nerves

Nerve injury triggers the conversion of myelin and non-myelin (Remak) Schwann cells to a cell phenotype specialized to promote repair. Distal to damage, these repair Schwann cells provide the necessary signals and spatial cues for the survival of injured neurons, axonal regeneration and target reinnervation. The conversion to repair Schwann cells involves de-differentiation together with alternative differentiation, or activation, a combination that is typical of cell type conversions often referred to as (direct or lineage) reprogramming. Thus, injury-induced Schwann cell reprogramming involves down-regulation of myelin genes combined with activation of a set of repair-supportive features, including…