The biology of nerve injury and repair

A peripheral nerve injury has a profound impact on the patient’s life and such an injury causes high costs for society. A peripheral nerve injury is a very complex injury because it involves both peripheral and central components of the nervous system all the way from targets at muscle and skin receptors up to the brain. In the neuron and its supporting cells—mainly Schwann cells—there are numerous steps in intracellular signaling, signal transduction, that are initiated by the injury with the aim of putting the neuron and the Schwann cells into a regenerative and proliferative condition, respectively. The present article focuses on the basic reactions of the neuron and the Schwann cells during injury and regeneration from a neurobiologic viewpoint. Greater future understanding about the signal transduction mechanisms in neurons and Schwann cells will help to develop pharmacologic strategies in addition to the current surgical treatment options.