Ask your competent? doctor what protocols exist for testing and repair of myelin post stroke. Your doctor has none? Too bad; you DON'T have a functioning stroke doctor, do you?
Myelin dysfunction in aging and brain disorders: mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities
Molecular Neurodegeneration 20, Article number: 69 (2025)
Abstract
Myelin is a multilamellar membrane that surrounds axons in the vertebrate nervous system. Properly functioning myelin is essential for the rapid conduction of nerve impulses, and it metabolically supports axonal integrity. Emerging evidence indicates that myelin is also involved in various aspects of cognition, with adaptive myelination playing a critical role in memory consolidation and motor learning. However, these physiological processes can be disrupted in various diseases. Understanding the mechanisms underlying myelin pathology is therefore essential for the development of targeted therapies for associated medical conditions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the role of myelin in neural function, with a particular focus on adaptive myelination in cognition. We also highlight myelin dysfunction and the underlying mechanisms in the aging brain, as well as in diverse brain disorders and neurological conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric conditions, brain injuries, chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment, and neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19. Furthermore, we discuss the therapeutic potential of recently identified pro-myelinating compounds in aging-associated cognitive decline and brain disorders, as well as the future of remyelination therapies. Current evidence suggests that restoring functional myelin may serve as a therapeutic strategy for various medical conditions associated with myelin dysfunction.
Background
Myelin is a multilamellar membrane that wraps neuronal axons in the nervous system. As an evolutionary adaptation, myelinated axons ensure the rapid propagation of nerve impulses. Myelin also supports axonal integrity and plays a role in maintaining higher cognitive functions [1, 2]. Emerging evidence suggests that well-functioning myelin, along with myelination—the formation of new myelin by myelin-forming glial cells—contributes to memory consolidation and various aspects of cognitive functioning [3,4,5,6]. This insight has sparked a growing interest in investigating the contribution of myelin pathology to brain disorders marked by myelin dysfunction.
Accumulating evidence from cell culture studies, preclinical animal models, postmortem analyses, and neuroimaging studies suggests that myelin dysfunction is involved in aging-associated neurological deficits and a wide range of brain disorders. These disorders include Alzheimer’s disease (AD) [7,8,9], multiple sclerosis (MS) [10,11,12], depression [12,13,14], stroke [15,16,17], traumatic brain injury (TBI) [18,19,20], schizophrenia [21,22,23], as well as other conditions ranging from hypoxic brain injury [24, 25] to COVID-associated neurological symptoms [26]. Although these conditions arise from distinct mechanisms, they share the common feature of disrupted myelin integrity, which may underlie certain observed neurological deficits.
In this review, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the functional significance of myelin and highlight key pro-myelinating compounds. We focus in particular on myelin dysfunction and its underlying mechanisms in the aging brain and various neurological conditions. The potential of remyelination therapy for aging and brain disorders is also discussed. Converging evidence suggests that myelin may represent a promising therapeutic target for these conditions.
More at link.
No comments:
Post a Comment