Schwann Cells Reprogram Into Repair Phenotype Instead of Dedifferentiating to Immature Phenotype in in Vitro Culture

Introduction: In vitro cultured Schwann cell has been suggested to adopt a phenotype of undifferentiated immature Schwann cells found in vivo during development. However, recent studies indicate that Schwann cells undergo cellular reprogramming into the phenotype of repair Schwann cells instead of reverting to an immature phenotype after peripheral nerve injury. The study hypothesized that in in vitro culture, Schwann cells assume the repair phenotype instead of de-differentiating to immature Schwann cells, similar to in vivo nerve injury response. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the phenotype of cultured Schwann cells by examining the expression of classic Schwann markers and transcription factors c-Jun and Krox-20. Methods: Schwann cells, isolated from Wistar rat sciatic nerve, were grown in a standard Schwann cell growth medium for seven days. Then, cultured Schwann cells were analyzed using immunofluorescence analysis for classic Schwann cell markers (neurotrophin receptor p75 (p75NTR) and myelin basic protein (MBP)) and the expression profile of transcription factor c-Jun and Krox-20. Results: Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that cultured Schwann cells expressed a significantly high level of repair phenotype biomarkers (p75NTR and c-Jun) compared to the level of myelinating phenotype biomarkers (MBP and Krox-20). Conclusion: Schwann cells reprogram into repair Schwann cells instead of de-differentiating to immature Schwann cells in vitro.