Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38320986›Full record

ArticleNature communications2024

Sensory Schwann cells set perceptual thresholds for touch and selectively regulate mechanical nociception.

Julia Ojeda-Alonso, Laura Calvo-Enrique, Ricardo Paricio-Montesinos, Rakesh Kumar, Ming-Dong Zhang, James F A Poulet, Patrik Ernfors, Gary R Lewin

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
14.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

30 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 46 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Nociceptive Schwann Cells Enter the Sensory Spotlight.The Journal of investigative dermatology · 2026
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Glia of the heart's nervous system.Nature reviews. Neuroscience · 2025
    Review
  11. Article
  12. Targeting prostaglandin ENature communications · 2025
    Article
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Pain Signaling by GPCRs and RTKs.Trends in pharmacological sciences · 2025
    Review
  19. Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.

Julia Ojeda-Alonso *Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany.
Laura Calvo-Enrique *Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-9428-3974
Ricardo Paricio-MontesinosNeural Circuits and Behavior, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-3325-9038
Rakesh KumarDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-9693-4374
Ming-Dong ZhangDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-6348-1994
James F A PouletNeural Circuits and Behavior, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-0296-5415
Patrik ErnforsDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. patrik.ernfors@ki.se.ORCID 0000-0002-1140-3986
Gary R LewinMolecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125, Berlin, Germany. glewin@mdc-berlin.de.ORCID 0000-0002-2890-6352
Max Delbrück Center · DEKarolinska Institutet · SEUniversidad de Salamanca · ESWashington University in St. Louis · US

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Previous work identified nociceptive Schwann cells that can initiate pain. Consistent with the existence of inherently mechanosensitive sensory Schwann cells, we found that in mice, the mechanosensory function of almost all nociceptors, including those signaling fast pain, were dependent on sensory Schwann cells. In polymodal nociceptors, sensory Schwann cells signal mechanical, but not cold or heat pain. Terminal Schwann cells also surround mechanoreceptor nerve-endings within the Meissner's corpuscle and in hair follicle lanceolate endings that both signal vibrotactile touch. Within Meissner´s corpuscles, two molecularly and functionally distinct sensory Schwann cells positive for Sox10 and Sox2 differentially modulate rapidly adapting mechanoreceptor function. Using optogenetics we show that Meissner's corpuscle Schwann cells are necessary for the perception of low threshold vibrotactile stimuli. These results show that sensory Schwann cells within diverse glio-neural mechanosensory end-organs are sensors for mechanical pain as well as necessary for touch perception.

Indexed as

TouchTouch PerceptionAnimalsMechanoreceptorsMiceNociceptionPainSchwann CellsSensory Thresholds

Identifiers

PMID38320986
PMCPMC10847425
OpenAlexW4391567308

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.