A new feature of multiple sclerosis biology has been discovered, which could help to stop the condition progressing.
A team from the MS Society Edinburgh Centre for MS Research at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, used a state-of-the-art live imaging platform to take high resolution images of transparent zebrafish.
This enabled them to examine in detail the behaviour of oligodendrocytes, cells that produce the protective myelin coating around nerves, but are attacked by the immune system in MS.
Previous studies have suggested oligodendrocytes can survive MS attacks and can produce new myelin for their nerves. However, it was not known how these surviving cells compared with new oligodendrocytes produced after old ones are lost.
This study, published in *Nature Neuroscience*, reveals that surviving oligodendrocytes produce less myelin than new ones and also send the myelin to the wrong part of the nerve.
Scientists saw this pattern in both zebrafish and in brain tissue donated to the MS Society Tissue Bank and they believe this discovery unlocks new potential avenues for MS research. This includes examining if the surviving oligodendrocytes could respond to treatment to help boost their performance.
Professor David Lyons, associate director of the MS Society Edinburgh Centre for MS Research, said: “These new findings exemplify the power and importance of studying both animal models and the disease itself side by side.
“We have much to learn about the biology of oligodendrocytes that survive demyelination, but are confident that increasing our understanding of their contributions to remyelination will refine ongoing development of therapeutic strategies to stop MS.”
Dr Clare Walton, head of research at the MS Society, added: “Improving our understanding of what happens after myelin becomes damaged is one of our research priorities, and studies like this take us another step closer to our important goal of stopping MS.”
The research team says that surviving oligodendrocytes could hinder effective myelin repair because the death of oligodendrocytes can be a signal for the stem cells to transform into new ones.
Future research topics could include exploring if targeting surviving cells for destruction could complement therapeutic strategies to promote myelin repair through the generation of new oligodendrocytes.
*Nature Neuroscience* 14 February 2022
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