Interactions between Schwann cell and extracellular matrix in peripheral nerve regeneration

Abstract

Peripheral nerve injuries, caused by various reasons, often lead to severe sensory, motor, and autonomic dysfunction or permanent disability, posing a challenging problem in regenerative medicine. Autologous nerve transplantation has been the gold standard in traditional treatments but faces numerous limitations and risk factors, such as donor area denervation, increased surgical complications, and diameter or nerve bundle mismatches. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex molecular network synthesized and released into the extracellular space by cells residing in tissues or organs. Its main components include collagen, proteoglycans/glycosaminoglycans, elastin, laminin, fibronectin, etc., providing structural and biochemical support to surrounding cells, crucial for cell survival and growth. Schwann cells, as the primary glial cells in the peripheral nervous system, play various important roles. Schwann cell transplantation is considered the gold standard in cell therapy for peripheral nerve injuries, making ECM derived from Schwann cells one of the most suitable biomaterials for peripheral nerve repair. To better understand the mechanisms of Schwann cells and the ECM in peripheral nerve regeneration and their optimal application, this review provides an overview of their roles in peripheral nerve regeneration.

Engineering cell-derived extracellular matrix for peripheral nerve regeneration

“…Collagens are enriched in all cd-ECMs [ 44 , 59 ]. They are essential structural proteins that are required for normal ECM assembly and organization, and constitute about 49 % of the total proteins of peripheral nerves [ [60] , [61] , [62] ]. Collagens are a superfamily of trimeric molecules composed of three identical triple helical α chains that define tissue structures, including up to around 30 identified subtypes.…”