Premium
Cytokines and chemokines in inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies
Author(s) -
Lisak Robert P.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
clinical and experimental neuroimmunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.297
H-Index - 15
ISSN - 1759-1961
DOI - 10.1111/j.1759-1961.2010.00015.x
Subject(s) - schwann cell , chemokine , immune system , myelin , immunology , peripheral nervous system , microbiology and biotechnology , inflammation , biology , downregulation and upregulation , proinflammatory cytokine , neuroscience , central nervous system , biochemistry , gene
Schwann cells are the cells that are responsible for the production and maintenance of myelin in the peripheral nervous system, as a modification of their plasma membrane. It has become clear that Schwann cells are the target of immune and inflammatory mediated reactions, and over the past 20 years studies have shown that Schwann cells might be important participants in the immune process. The interaction of Schwann cells with cytokines and chemokines, some produced by inflammatory cells but clearly some produced by the Schwann cells themselves, mediate much of these Schwann cell functions. These studies have been both in vitro and in vivo , with the latter consisting of studies of animal models as well as from patients with diseases of the peripheral nervous system. Thus, Schwann cells contribute to both pro‐inflammatory and downregulation of immune/inflammatory processes. The present review updates our current understanding of the interactions of Schwann cells with cytokines and chemokines. (Clin. Exp. Neuroimmunol. doi: 10.1111/j.1759‐1961.2010.00015.x, September 2010)