Muscarinic receptor in Schwann-like adipose derived stem cells: implications in nerve regeneration.

Schwann Cells (SCs) play a central role in the physiology and in the response of the axon injury. The capacity of SCs to proliferate, to secrete growth factors, to modulate immune response, to migrate and to re-myelinate regenerating nerves have been reported (Jessen et al, 2016). However, SCs present limited clinical application, such as the difficulty in collection and culture and the slow rate of in vitro expansion. Some papers describe that Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have the ability to differentiate towards SCs phenotype (Schwann-like, dASC) following exposure to suitable culture media (Kingham et al, 2007). dASC, like SCs, express functional receptors for different neurotrasmitters, including muscarinic receptor subtypes (M1-M4) that regulate some physiological events. In the present work, we have characterised the effects mediated by muscarinic receptors on proliferation and neurotrophic factors (NFs) expression and production.