2022, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (19): 3108-3116

Function of oligodendrocytes and demyelinating disease

Song Shengjiao, Li Juan, Wu Wencheng, Xiao Yun, Liao Baoying, Li Xing   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Demyelination diseases are a disease that presents loss of myelin, and relative light damage to neuronal cell body and axon. Under normal physiological conditions, the body will spontaneously carry out remyelination after demyelination. However, under pathological conditions, this process can be inhibited by many factors, resulting in incompletion or failure of myelin sheath regeneration, making demyelination development, and the diseases can continue to aggravate.
OBJECTIVE: To emphasize the critical role of oligodendrocytes in the process of remyelination, how to develop drugs and cell-based demyelinating disease drugs from the perspective of oligodendrocytes so as to provide a new approach for drug development of demyelinating diseases.
METHODS: Databases of PubMed, GeenMedical, and CNKI were searched for the articles regarding oligodendrocytes and demyelinating diseases or involving oligodendrocyte precursor cells, oligodendrocyte-related functions, and remyelination published from the inception to May 1, 2021. The key words were “oligodendrocyte, demyelinating diseases” in English and Chinese. Totally 142 articles were included.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The role of oligodendrocytes in demyelinating diseases is essential for remyelination. In inflammatory microenvironments, the function of oligodendrocytes can be impaired and damage axonal conduction. Therefore, maintaining the function of oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system is crucial to treat demyelinating diseases. (2) At present, new treatment strategies for demyelinating diseases are endless, mainly to prevent inflammation. For example, bioinformatics technology is used to screen available small molecule compounds. Alternatively, some drugs approved by Food and Drug Administration are developed to screen subjects. Or drugs have been developed that target internal and external signals at different stages of myelin regeneration. Furthermore, there are also cell therapies for transplantation of central nervous system stem cells with the ability to differentiate into oligodendrocytes to the affected area. The current research has its various treatment entry points, and the development of low-cost, low side effects, high drug efficacy, and high-efficiency treatment strategies also face arduous challenges.

Key words:oligodendrocyte, oligodendrocyte progenitor cell, demyelinating disease, remyelination, demyelination therapy, review