Two faces of Schwann cell dedifferentiation in peripheral neurodegenerative diseases：pro-demyelinating and axon-preservative functions

Schwann cells are glial cells that are responsible for the synthesis and maintenance of the myelin sheath in the peripheral nerve system. Under pathological conditions, such as physical nerve injury and inflammatory neuropathies, Schwann cells undergo a substantial phenotype transformation that is not related to their intended function. For example, Schwann cells dedifferentiate into immature states and thereby cease to express myelin genes after nerve injury.