# Schwann Cell Regulation of Hematopoiesis

> **NIH NIH R03** · MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN · 2021 · $76,966

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
Physiologic blood cell production is regulated by peripheral nerve fibers that innervate the bone marrow. Aging,
diabetes, neurotoxic drugs and certain myeloid malignancies injure a significant subset of `hematopoietic nerve
fibers', and in doing so, fundamentally alter hematopoietic niches and hematopoiesis. However, little is known
about the development or maintenance of hematopoietic nerve fibers. We are addressing this gap in knowledge
by examining the role of peripheral nerve support-cells, i.e. Schwann Cells (SCs), in bone marrow innervation
and regulation of blood cell production.
During late embryologic and early postnatal development, SC precursors (SCPs) begin to separate and ensheath
axons. Early SC maturation is dependent on autocrine SC-derived molecules such as laminin-γ1. Later in SC
development, axon-derived cues determine whether SCs differentiate into myelinating- or nonmyelinating-SCs.
Following nerve injury, both SC phenotypes can transition to a `repair' phenotype to facilitate axon repair, and
then repopulate the nerve with myelinating- or nonmyelinating-SCs. Primary SC dysfunction is an important
etiology of many subtypes of peripheral neuropathy. This proposal will examine the hypothesis that SCs
indirectly control hematopoiesis via regulating bone marrow innervation by determining the impact of SC
developmental defects on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and bone marrow niche cells, and by
determining the subtype and localization of SCs in the bone marrow and their response to mechanical nerve
injury.
The results obtained from this work will provide the basis for future studies to determine whether SCs are required
for hematopoietic mobilization and engraftment, two processes that have previously been shown to require
physiologic bone marrow innervation. In addition, we will use these results to determine whether initiation of
canonical Schwann-cell-mediated repair programs are required and/or sufficient for hematopoietic recovery from
bone marrow stressors such as neurotoxin-induced failure, or for restoration of normal hematopoiesis following
malignancy-induced sympathetic bone marrow neuropathy.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10099480
- **Project number:** 1R03HL155174-01
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN
- **Principal Investigator:** Karen-Sue Barker Carlson
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $76,966
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-01-25 → 2023-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10099480

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10099480, Schwann Cell Regulation of Hematopoiesis (1R03HL155174-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10099480. Licensed CC0.

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