Spontaneously immortalized adult rodent Schwann cells as valuable tools for the study of peripheral nerve degeneration and regeneration

Abstract

We have established spontaneously immortalized Schwann cell lines from normal adult mice and rats, as well as murine disease models. One of the normal mouse cell lines, IMS32, possesses some biological properties of mature Schwann cells and high proliferative activities. The IMS32 cells have been utilized to investigate the action mechanisms of various molecules involved in peripheral nerve regeneration [e.g., ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), sonic hedgehog, and galectin-1], and the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy, particularly the polyol pathway hyperactivity. The cell lines derived from murine disease models (e.g., lysosomal storage diseases, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and neurofibromatosis) retain genomic and biochemical abnormalities, sufficiently representing the pathological features of the mutant mice. A normal rat cell line, IFRS1, retains the characteristic features of mature Schwann cells and the fundamental ability to myelinate axons in coculture with adult rat DRG neurons and PC12 cells. These Schwann cell lines can be valuable tools for exploring neuron-Schwann cell interactions, the pathobiology of axonal degeneration and regeneration in the peripheral nervous system, and novel therapeutic approaches against neurological disorders in patients with relevant diseases.