Establishment of a Serum-Free Human iPSC-Derived Model of Peripheral Myelination

Myelination and the formation of nodes of Ranvier are essential for the rapid conduction of nerve impulses along axons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). While many animal-based and serum-containing models of peripheral myelination have been developed, these have limited ability when it comes to studying genetic disorders affecting peripheral myelination. We report a fully induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived human model of peripheral myelination using Schwann cells (SCs) and motoneurons, cultured in a serum-free medium on patterned and nonpatterned surfaces. Results demonstrated iPSC-derived SC-expressed early growth response protein 2 (Egr2), a key transcription factor for myelination, and after ∼30 days in coculture, hallmark features of myelination, including myelin segment and node of Ranvier formation, were observed. Myelin segments were stained for the myelin basic protein, which surrounded neurofilament-stained motoneuron axons. Clusters of voltage-gated sodium channels flanked by paranodal protein contactin-associated protein 1, indicating node of Ranvier formation, were also observed. High-resolution confocal microscopy allowed for 3D reconstruction and measurement of myelin g-ratios of myelin segments, with an average g-ratio of 0.67, consistent with reported values in the literature, indicating mature myelin segment formation. This iPSC-based model of peripheral myelination provides a platform to investigate numerous PNS diseases, including Charcot-Marie Tooth disorder, Guillian-Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and antimyelin-associated glycoprotein peripheral neuropathy, with the potential for greater translatability to humans for improving the applicability for drug-screening programs.