How Schwann Cells Might Be Altered So That They Might Be Better Candidates For Myelin Transplantation
Dr. Anne Baron-Evercooren, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, presented her investigation of how Schwann cells might be altered so that they might be better candidates for myelin transplantation. By forcing the cells to express an enzyme, sialyltransferase, their ability to migrate was greatly improved.
Schwann cells (SC) form myelin in the peripheral nerves and are easy to get. Despite their obvious repair potential in the central nervous system (CNS), several studies indicated that SC aren’t effective in repairing CNS myelin. Other cell types (olfactory ensheathing cells, neural stem cells and oligodendrocytes) can repair CNS myelin, but are not very easy to get. Dr. Baron-Van Evercooren’s laboratory has explored some of the differences between SC and these other cell types. All of the myelin forming cells, including the SC, express NCAM, a specific protein, on their surface. However, the NCAM of the CNS myelin forming cells is “decorated” with a specific carbohydrate, while the NCAM of the SCs is “plain”.
To solve this problem, Dr. Baron-Evercooren and her associates have developed a method of getting SCs to produce “decorated” NCAM. After characterizing the modified SC cells in culture, they were transplanted to mice that had spinal cord demyelination. The modified SC were much more efficient at repairing the demyelination than the control SC. These results underline the potential therapeutic benefit of genetically modifying SC to overcome their poor migratory property and promote their repair potential in demyelinating disorders of the CNS. Dr. Baron-Evercoorn’s work has been supported by WFL and INSERM
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