For a long time, neurogenic placodes and migratory neural crest cells were considered the immediate sources building neurons of peripheral nervous system. Recently, a number of discoveries revealed the existence of another progenitor type—a nerve-associated multipotent Schwann cell precursors (SCPs) building enteric and parasympathetic neurons as well as neuroendocrine chromaffin cells. SCPs are neural crest-derived and are similar to the crest cells by their markers and differentiation potential. Such similarities, but also considerable differences, raise many questions pertaining to the medical side, fundamental developmental biology and evolution. Here, we discuss the genesis of Schwann cell precursors, their role in building peripheral neural structures and ponder on their role in the origin in congenial diseases associated with peripheral nervous systems.

长期以来，神经源性基板和迁移性神经嵴细胞被认为是构建周围神经系统神经元的直接来源。最近，许多发现揭示了另一种祖细胞类型的存在——一种与神经相关的多能雪旺细胞前体（SCP），其构建肠和副交感神经元以及神经内分泌嗜铬细胞。SCP 源自神经嵴，其标记和分化潜力与嵴细胞相似。这些相似之处，但也存在相当大的差异，引发了许多与医学、基本发育生物学和进化有关的问题。在这里，我们讨论施万细胞前体的起源、它们在构建周围神经结构中的作用，并思考它们在与周围神经系统相关的先天性疾病起源中的作用。