Early, novel study suggests that nerve fibers may be better off without myelin after immune-mediate damage in MS
July 6, 2023
Myelin is the substance that surrounds axons (nerve fibers) and is generally thought to be protective and supportive. New research from teams in Germany shows that axons were more likely to degrade in the presence of myelin that had been damaged, rather than if myelin was completely lost. These data were obtained from tissue samples from four people with MS and from mouse models of MS-like disease. They suggest that myelin (and oligodendrocytes, the cells that make myelin) may not be able to support axons after experiencing immune-mediated damage, but rather, may harm the axons instead.
This novel idea requires much further study, but if confirmed, presents a novel direction for
restoring what’s been lost in MS.
Read more about this study from the University of Leipzig
Read the study, available in Nature Neuroscience via Open Access