New oligodendrocytes exhibit more abundant and accurate myelin regeneration than those that survive demyelination

Neely et al. investigated the regeneration of different oligodendrocytes after demyelination. They found that newly generated cells exhibit much more proficient remyelination than those that survive demyelination, with implications for MS. Oligodendrocytes that survive demyelination can remyelinate, including in multiple sclerosis (MS), but how they do so is unclear. In this study, using zebrafish, we found that surviving oligodendrocytes make few new sheaths and frequently mistarget new myelin to neuronal cell bodies, a pathology we also found in MS. In contrast, oligodendrocytes generated after demyelination make abundant and correctly targeted sheaths, indicating that they likely also have a better regenerative potential in MS.

Automated summary

Through research on zebrafish, it was found that surviving oligodendrocytes are less efficient in generating new myelin sheaths and frequently misdirect the myelin to neuronal cell bodies, which is similar to the pathology seen in multiple sclerosis (MS). Conversely, oligodendrocytes generated after demyelination produce abundant and correctly targeted myelin sheaths, suggesting that they may also have a better regenerative potential in MS.