title: Skin-derived precursor Schwann cell myelination capacity in focal tibial demyelination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Skin-derived precursor cells (SKPs) are neural crest progenitor cells that can attain a Schwann cell-like phenotype through in vitro techniques (SKP-SCs). We hypothesized that SKP-SCs could produce mature myelin and, in doing so, facilitate the recovery of a focal demyelination injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  We unilaterally injected DiI-labeled, green fluorescent protein (GFP)-producing SKP-SCs into the tibial nerves of 10 adult Lewis rats (with contralateral media control), 9 days after bilateral doxorubicin injury (0.38 μg). Tibial compound motor action potentials (CMAPs) were followed for 57 days. A separate morphometric cohort also included a Schwann cell injection group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SKP-injected nerves recovered fastest in terms of electrophysiology and morphometry. SKP-SCs formed morphologically mature myelin, accounting for 15.3 ± 5.3% of the total myelin in SKP-SC-injected nerves.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SKP-SCs are robustly capable of myelination. They improve the recovery of a focal tibial nerve demyelination model by myelinating a measured percentage of axons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, HMRB 110-330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N4N1, Canada.
authors.forename: Joey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grochmal
authors.forename: Sundeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhaliwal
authors.forename: Peter K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Stys
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Minnen
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Midha
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000633:toxicity; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000633:toxicity; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D062557:NAV1.6 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel / Q000378:metabolism; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011901:Ranvier's Nodes / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D062557:NAV1.6 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; C507811:Scn8a protein, rat; D004317:Doxorubicin
keywords: myelination; peripheral nervous system; rat; regeneration; stem cell