Cells with a superhero alter ego: Schwann cells transform into repair cells after nerve injury with help of transcription factor JUN and Sonic Hedgehog gene

When nerves are injured, Schwann cells—a key cell in peripheral nerve function and nerve insulation—assume a new role and identity as repair cells.

Researchers Discover Gene Crucial For Nerve Cell Insulation

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have discovered how a defect in a single master gene disrupts the process by which several genes interact to create myelin, a fatty coating that covers nerve cells and increases the speed and reliability of their electrical signals.