Culture and gene expression profiling of Schwann cells from human sural nerve.

A protocol enables reproducible culture and transcriptome analysis of human Schwann cells from small sural nerve biopsies, facilitating PNP research.

• Why it matters: Understanding Schwann cell dysfunction is crucial for unraveling the mechanisms of polyneuropathies, which are poorly understood and involve demyelination and axonal degeneration.
• What they did: Researchers developed a protocol to isolate and culture human Schwann cells from approximately 4-mm sural nerve biopsies and performed comprehensive transcriptome analysis to characterize their phenotype.
• The result: The protocol produces proliferative Schwann cell cultures that can be stored and expanded, providing valuable tools for diagnostic applications and advancing PNP studies.