Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and is the first member of the GDNF family of ligands (GFL) found. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor has been shown to interact with GFRA2 and GDNF family receptor alpha 1. GDNF has regenerative properties for brain cells and showed potential as treatment for Parkinson's disease - monkeys with an induced form of Parkinson's disease showed less trembling when treated with the drug, and neuronal fibres grew in part of the human brain exposed to the drug. However progress to a treatment is hampered by the problem of delivering the drug to brain cells through the blood-brain barrier in human.
Perisynaptic schwann cells 12-13 in rats. Schwann cell precursors then differentiate into Immature Schwann cells from which myelinating and non-myelinating Schwann cells are directly descended. These cells generally appear around embryonic day 13-15 in rats. The differentation of Immature Schwann cells occurs after birth and is dependent on the axons in which the glia are associated. This differentation is known to be reversible, as seen in regeneration models. Perisynaptic Schwann cells develop as non-myelinating Schwann cells and encapsulate the NMJ. PSCs can be attributed to glial lineage by the presence of Calcium binding proteins S100, Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and Protein 0.