Can we harness the CNS remyelination process to treat MS?

Following observations into the paralysis caused by transverse myelitis, a condition similar to multiple sclerosis (MS), an international team of researchers has sought to understand the remyelination process, with a view to harnessing it for future treatments. Transverse myelitis and MS both result in the destruction of myelin; however, transverse myelitis is a one-off and recoverable event. The study’s corresponding author, Denise Fitzgerald (Queen's University Belfast, UK) suffered transverse myelitis, making a 95% recovery. This evidence of repair, also evident in relapsing–remitting MS, inspired her to conduct the current research. Myelin regeneration requires oligodendrocyte differentiation, a process that can be...