Wnt5a Affects Schwann Cell Proliferation and Regeneration via Wnt/c-Jun and PTEN Signaling Pathway

[...]the peripheral nerve regeneration after injury is a slow process, and more than 3 months is usually needed for the axons regenerating to the distal target organs or tissues, when the distal nerve stump and skeletal muscle usually become atrophy and the regenerated axons lost the ability to remodel in next few months. [...]accelerating the recovery of the peripheral nerve and the connection between central nervous system and distal nerves after injury is important for the improvement of postinjury nerve recovery. Available studies have shown that various growth factors, growth factor receptors, and receptor-mediated signaling pathways may influence the biological processes of Schwann cells such as differentiation, proliferation, survival, migration, and metabolism. [...]shortening the remodeling time of nervous system and accelerating the peripheral nerve repair as much as possible will be beneficial for the recovery of neurological function. PCR and sequencing showed that the Wnt5a shRNA sequence was consistent with that predesigned and inserted correctly into the vector. [...]the lentiviral vector was able to express green fluorescent protein under a fluorescence microscope. From these results, we infer that Wnt5a gene might affect the peripheral nerve regeneration via Wnt/c-Jun and PTEN signaling. [...]our research provides insight into the study of the pathogenesis and treatment of peripheral nerve injury and provides a theoretical support for the treatment of peripheral nerve injury with Wnt5a gene as a target in clinical.