title: Efficient generation of functional Schwann cells from adipose-derived stem cells in defined conditions.
abstract: Schwann cells (SCs) are hitherto regarded as the most promising candidates for viable cell-based therapy to peripheral nervous system (PNS) injuries or degenerative diseases. However, the extreme drawbacks of transplanting autologous SCs for clinical applications still represent a significant bottleneck in neural regenerative medicine, mainly owing to the need of sacrificing a functional nerve to generate autologous SCs and the nature of slow expansion of the SCs. Thus, it is of great importance to establish an alternative cell system for the generation of sufficient SCs. Here, we demonstrated that adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) of rat robustly give rise to morphological, phenotypic and functional SCs using an optimized protocol. After undergoing a 3-week in vitro differentiation, almost all of treated ADSCs exhibited spindle shaped morphology similar to genuine SCs and expressed SC markers GFAP and S100. Most importantly, apart from acquisition of SC antigenic and biochemical features, the ADSC-derived SCs were functionally identical to native SCs as they possess a potential ability to form myelin, and secret nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glia-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). The current study may provide an ideal strategy for harvesting sufficient SCs for cell-based treatment of various peripheral nerve injuries or disorders.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Burn Surgery , Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an PR China State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an , Shaanxi Province , China.
authors.forename: Songtao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , China State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an , Shaanxi Province , China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Burn Surgery , Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an PR China State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an , Shaanxi Province , China.
authors.forename: Juntao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: a Department of Burn Surgery , Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an PR China State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an , Shaanxi Province , China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: a Department of Burn Surgery , Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an PR China State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an , Shaanxi Province , China.
authors.forename: Hongtao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: c Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Loma Linda University Medical Center , Loma Linda , CA , USA.
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simental
authors.affiliation: a Department of Burn Surgery , Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an PR China State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital Fourth Military Medical University , Xi'an , Shaanxi Province , China.
authors.forename: Dahai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: d Translational Medicine Center , Hong Hui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an , Shaanxi , China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002469:Cell Separation; D048430:Cell Shape; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000166:cytology; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors
keywords: Schwann cells; adipose-derived stem cells; cell differentiation; myelination; peripheral nerve