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Review
. 2025 Jun 19:13:1603752.
doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1603752. eCollection 2025.

Pharmacologically targeting Schwann cells to improve regeneration following nerve damage

Alaa A Alhamdi  1   2 , Shona Mackie  1   2 , Ryan P Trueman  1   2 , Melissa L D Rayner  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Pharmacologically targeting Schwann cells to improve regeneration following nerve damage

Alaa A Alhamdi et al. Front Cell Dev Biol. .

Abstract

Schwann cells provide essential support for nerve growth and survival following peripheral nerve damage by producing various growth factors and other signalling molecules. Modulating the proliferation, differentiation, migration, or myelination of Schwann cells could result in accelerated repair and regeneration of injured nerves, ultimately leading to improved motor and sensory function. Therefore, Schwann cells are commonly advocated as therapeutic targets for nerve damage, which could be mediated by pharmacological intervention. This review discusses how compounds such as growth factors, hormones, and small molecules can regulate intracellular signalling pathways involved in modulating Schwann cells.

Keywords: Schwann cells; cell phenotype; nerve regeneration; pharmacological intervention; signalling pathway.

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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
An overview of identified pharmacological modulators and key targets that could modulate Schwann cells. Modulators that have demonstrated promise in modulating Schwann cell phenotype or behaviour, are grouped by their class (A) and the Schwann cell behaviour they affect (B). The modulators (purple) and the signalling pathway they interact with (green) (C).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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