oligodendrocytes

Myelin may promote nerve cell damage in early immune attacks

Nerve cells coated with myelin ā€” the fatty substance that’s lost in multiple sclerosis (MS) ā€” may be more vulnerable to degeneration in an inflammatory environment than cells lacking myelin, researchers working in MS patient tissues and mouse models report. The scientists believe the phenomenon arises when certain…

‘Mini-brain’ models point to poorer oligodendrocyte growth in PPMS

Using stem cells derived from people with multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers developed cerebral organoids, or “mini-brains,” to better study the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to the neurodegenerative disorder. Initial analysis showed that patient-derived stem cells, especially those from people with primary progressive MS (PPMS), tend to be…

Frequency Names Advisory Board to Guide Remyelination Work for MS

Frequency Therapeutics has established a clinical advisory board, with experts across neuroscience fields, to help guide its small molecule treatment candidate for remyelination inĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) into clinical testing. The company is planning to initiate a first trial of the molecule, designed to boost remyelination ā€” the…

Proteins Called Tenascins Found to Block Myelin Repair in Mouse Model

Proteins called tenascins block the regeneration of myelin by modulating the activity of oligodendrocytes, myelin-making cells of the central nervous system, a study in mouse modelsĀ indicates. “Our research results open up new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis,” Juliane Bauch, a researcher at Ruhr-University…

Cancer Researchers’ Discovery May Benefit MS Studies

In an unexpected discovery, scientists working to understand the biological underpinnings of brain tumors found that increasing the activity of a protein receptor called PDGFRA reduces the production of myelin ā€” the fatty coating that is lost in multiple sclerosis (MS) ā€” in the nervous system. “We saw that…

Signaling Protein Seen to Help Promote Myelin-making Cells

A signaling protein called fractalkine helps to regulate the development of oligodendrocytes, cells of the nervous system responsible for making myelin ā€” the protecting coating of nerve cell fibers that is damaged and lost inĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). This finding was in the study, “Fractalkine signaling regulates…

#ACTRIMS2021 – Young Brain Fluid (CSF) Rejuvenates Memory in Mice

Editorā€™s note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25-27. GoĀ hereĀ to see all the latest stories from the conference. Factors in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounding the brain and spinal cord change with age and can affect…

Pathway and Its Proteins Found to Control Myelin Repair, Renewal

A pathway controlled by three proteins ā€” Daam2, Nedd4, and VHL ā€” was identified by researchersĀ as a key regulator of myelin production during central nervous system development and regeneration after injury. Myelin,Ā the protective fatty layer that covers nerve fibers and helps to speed transmission of signals between nerve cells,…

#MSVirtual2020 ā€“ Remyelination Mainly Conducted by Pre-existing Myelin-producing Cells, Study Finds

Remyelination ā€” or the restoration of lost myelin, the protective sheath surrounding nerve cell fibers ā€” in multiple sclerosis (MS) depends mainly on pre-existing oligodendrocytes (myelin-producing cells), rather than on newly-generated oligodendrocytes, according to a recent study. The data also showed that perineuronal, or satellite,…