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

Polyneuropathies (PNP) are diseases of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) whose pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Schwann cells (SC) are the principle glial cells in the PNS, and their dysfunction can lead to demyelination and secondary axonal degeneration, causing or exacerbating PNP. The study of SC can thus shed light on the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in PNP. Protocols have been developed to isolate and culture human and animal SC from large amounts of starting material. The isolation of human SC from patients, where only small biosamples are available, remains a challenge. In this study, we present a protocol to culture human SC from ~4-mm diagnostic sural nerve biopsies and a comprehensive transcriptome analysis to characterize their phenotype. Our protocol allows the reproducible establishment of cultures containing proliferative human Schwann cells that can be stored, expanded, and used as tools for diagnostic applications.