Regulation of remyelination in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a common demyelinating disease that worsens over the course of disease, a significant problem in clinical management. Disability in MS is significantly promoted by poor repair and remyelination of lesions. Both oligodendrocyte recruitment and maturation defects are seen as major causes of poor remyelination in MS. The mechanisms behind impaired remyelination in animal models include involvement of the Notch1, wnt, and hyaluronan/TLR2 pathways. RXR/PPAR signaling has also more recently been identified as an important regulator of remyelination. The local inflammatory milieu also appears to play critical and conflicting roles in promotion and inhibition of remyelination in MS. Understanding the forces regulating remyelination in MS represents an exciting and important initial step towards developing therapeutics targeting chronic disability in MS. (C) 2011 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.