Human Schwann Cells (HSwC)

Product Description

Schwann cells are major type of glial cells in peripheral nervous system. Schwann cells differentiate from cells of the neural crest during embryonic development, and they are stimulated to proliferate by some constituent of the axonal surface. Schwann cells can be either myelinating or non-myelinating. Whilst myelinating Schwann cells wrap around the axons of motor and sensory neurons to form the myelin sheath, non-myelinating Schwann cells do not wrap around the axons but still provide support and cushioning to the unmyelinated axons ^[1].  Each myelinating Schwann cell wraps around the shaft of an individual peripheral axon, forming myelin sheaths along segments of the axon. When an axon is dying, the Schwann cells surrounding it aid in its digestion, leaving an empty channel formed by successive Schwann cells, through which a new axon may then grow from a severed end. The number of Schwann cells in peripheral nerves is tightly regulated ^[2]. Their proliferation in vitro can be stimulated by various growth factors including PDGF, FGF, neuregulin, and others ^[3]. Schwann cells provide a relatively simple, well-defined, and accessible mammalian model for the study of numerous developmental diseases. It is also of clinical importance to understand the biology of Schwann cells, not only in the context of neuropathies and nerve regeneration, but also because the cells or their precursors may be especially well suited for implants to facilitate repair in the CNS.

iXCells Biotechnologies provides high quality Human Schwann Cells (HSwC), which are isolated from human spinal nerve and cryopreserved at P1. Each vial contains ≥0.5 million viable cells. HSwC are characterized for expression of vimentin, S100, GFAP and CD90. They are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast, and fungi and can further expand no more than 3 passages in Schwann Cell Growth Medium (Cat# MD-0055) under the condition suggested by iXCells Biotechnologies. Further expansion may decrease the purity.

Figure 1 Phase contrast images at indicated days post recovery and ICC staining for S100 for iXCells HSwC

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References

[1] Jessen, K. R. and Mirsky, R. (1999) Schwann cells and their precursors emerge as major regulators of nerve development. Trends Neurosci. 22:402-410. 

[2] Syroid, D. E., Maycox, P. R., Burrola, P. G., Liu, N., Wen, D., Lee, K. F., Lemke, G., Kilpatrick, T. J. (1996) Cell death in the Schwann cell lineage and its regulation by neuregulin. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:9229-9234. 

[3] Rahmatullah, M., Schroering, A., Rothblum, K., Stahl, R. C., Urban, B and Carey, D. J. (1998) Synergistic regulation of Schwann cells proliferation by heregulin and forskolin. Mol. Cell. Biol. 18:6245-6252.

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