Schwann cell remyelination of CNS axons following injection of cultures of CNS cells into areas of persistent demyelination.

The injection of suspensions of central nervous system (CNS) cells, prepared by standard methods from 4-day-old rat brain and maintained in vitro for 10 days, into areas of persistent demyelination in rat spinal cord resulted in extensive remyelination of axons by Schwann cells. As control lesions injected with medium showed no remyelination, the most likely explanation of this finding is that 'CNS cultures' contain a small population of Schwann cells which are stimulated to proliferate by the demyelinated axons.