White matter repair: skin-derived precursors as a source of myelinating cells

Stem cell based therapies hold great promise for repair and functional restoration following neurological injury and disease. Skin-derived precursors (or "SKPs") are a novel, multipotent somatic stem cell that resides within the mammalian dermis. SKPs persist within the skin throughout adulthood and yet intriguingly, exhibit many similarities to embryonic neural crest stem cells (NCSCs). For example, SKPs give rise to both neural and mesodermal cell types, and the former appear biased to peripheral nervous system fates. As such, SKPs are capable of generating Schwann cells, the myelinating glial cell of the peripheral nervous system. Here we discuss our current understanding of the biological origin of SKPs and specifically the potential therapeutic utility of SKPs as a highly accessible and autologous source of Schwann cells for remyelination and repair of the injured or diseased nervous system.