Cell Rep: Strategies for Remyelination

Degeneration and regeneration of myelin sheath are characteristic of neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis

When myelin diseases such as multiple sclerosis occur, the insulating layer rich in cholesterol and lipids around nerve fibers disappears

However, the longer the disease lasts, the lower the efficiency of this critical process

Cholesterol from nerve cells promotes the regeneration of myelin forming cells

Saher and her team are studying the role of cholesterol and other lipids in the nervous system under physiological and pathological conditions

In their study, the researchers examined nerve cells (neurons) from pharmacological and genetic mouse models with myelin sheath defects

To study the relevance of this observation, the researchers genetically inactivated the synthesis of cholesterol in mouse neurons and myelin-forming cells (oligodendrocytes)

Although acute and chronic lesions and their endogenous repair mechanisms are very different, the availability and management of cholesterol and other lipids ultimately make a considerable contribution to the efficiency of regeneration

Article Title

Neuronal cholesterol synthesis is essential for repair of chronically demyelinated lesions in mice.