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. 2022 Jul 29:16:929593.
doi: 10.3389/fncel.2022.929593. eCollection 2022.

Systematic review of the therapeutic use of Schwann cells in the repair of peripheral nerve injuries: Advancements from animal studies to clinical trials

Frederic A Vallejo  1 , Anthony Diaz  2 , Emily L Errante  1 , Taylor Smartz  1 , Aisha Khan  1   3 , Risset Silvera  1   3 , Adriana E Brooks  1   3 , Yee-Shuan Lee  3 , Stephen Shelby Burks  1   3 , Allan D Levi  1   3
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Systematic review of the therapeutic use of Schwann cells in the repair of peripheral nerve injuries: Advancements from animal studies to clinical trials

Frederic A Vallejo et al. Front Cell Neurosci. .

Abstract

Objective: To systematically evaluate the literature on the therapeutic use of Schwann cells (SC) in the repair of peripheral nerve injuries.

Methods: The Cochrane Library and PubMed databases were searched using terms [("peripheral nerve injury" AND "Schwann cell" AND "regeneration") OR ("peripheral nerve injuries")]. Studies published from 2008 to 2022 were eligible for inclusion in the present study. Only studies presenting data from in-vivo investigations utilizing SCs in the repair of peripheral nerve injuries qualified for review. Studies attempting repair of a gap of ≥10 mm were included. Lastly, studies needed to have some measure of quantifiable regenerative outcome data such as histomorphometry, immunohistochemical, electrophysiology, or other functional outcomes.

Results: A search of the PubMed and Cochrane databases revealed 328 studies. After screening using the abstracts and methods, 17 studies were found to meet our inclusion criteria. Good SC adherence and survival in conduit tubes across various studies was observed. Improvement in morphological and functional outcomes with the use of SCs in long gap peripheral nerve injuries was observed in nearly all studies.

Conclusion: Based on contemporary literature, SCs have demonstrated clear potential in the repair of peripheral nerve injury in animal studies. It has yet to be determined which nerve conduit or graft will prove superior for delivery and retention of SCs for nerve regeneration. Recent developments in isolation and culturing techniques will enable further translational utilization of SCs in future clinical trials.

Keywords: Schwann cell transplantation; Schwann cells (SCs); nerve regeneration; nerve repair; peripheral nerve.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart describing literature search and study selection. *Consider, if feasible to do so, reporting the number of records identified from each database or register searched (rather than the total number across all databases/registers). **If automation tools were used, indicate how many records were excluded by a human and how many were excluded by automation tools. From Page et al. (2021).
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