Table 5.
Examples for Schwann cell differentiation in 3D cultures. Sorted from most to least recent.
| Study | Cell Source | 3D Culture Matrix | Comparison to 2D | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podder et al., 2022 [352] |
keratinocyte- derived NC-like cells from human epidermis |
electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) aligned fibers functionalized with Nrg1 |
Nrg1-functionalized fibers improved differentiation | proliferation was reduced in 3D compared to 2D, expression of S100b/PLP1 increased when fibers were functionalized with Nrg1 |
| Entezari et al., 2022 [374] |
human MSC from olfactory mucosa |
3D-printed PCL/ polypyrrole (PPy) conductive scaffolds |
PPy-coated PCL scaffolds improved differentiation | coculture with PC12 cells, SC differentiation in 3D, SC marker expression and neurotrophic factor secretion increased on PPy/PCL compared to only PCL and 2D |
| Muller et al., 2018 [120] |
human iPSC | collagen sponge | - | skin model, including hiPSC-derived sensory neurons, SC differentiation in 2D, matured in 3D |
| Bayat et al., 2016 [326] |
human endometrial stem cells |
fibrin gel | 3D culture in fibrin gel improved differentiation |
|
| Martens et al., 2014 [217] |
human dental pulp stem cells |
collagen gel | - | SC differentiation in 2D, cocultures with rat DRG neurons in 3D |
| Ren et al., 2013 [272] |
human ESC | electrospun polyethersulfone (PES) fiber matrices |
aligned fibers improved differentiation |
hESC differentiation to NCC in 2D, then 2 weeks SC differentiation in 2D, then 2 more weeks either 2D or 3D; comparison of different fiber topographies |
| Uz et al., 2017 [246] |
rat MSC | gelatin based porous conduits |
best results were obtained with largest pore size and lowest stiffness |
comparison between ladder-like, macroporous, and nanofibrous structures (different pore sizes and elastic moduli) |
| Xue et al., 2017 [356] |
rat MSC | electrospun PCL fibers |
aligned fibers improved differentiation |
cocultures with PC12 cells and chick DRG neurons, comparison of fiber alignment and diameters, differentiation further enhanced by coating aligned fibers with laminin |
| Chen et al., 2015 [363] |
rat MSC | fibrin matrix | increased expression of myelin-related markers and neurotrophin secretion |
Abbreviations: SC = Schwann cells, NCC = neural crest cells, MSC = mesenchymal stem cells.