PUBLICATION

Myelin sheaths in the central nervous system can withstand damage and dynamically remodel

Authors
Arafa, D., van de Korput, J., Braaker, P.N., Higgins, K.P., Meijns, N.R.C., Marshall-Phelps, K.L.H., Meng, J., Soong, D., Scalia, E., Lathem, K., Keatinge, M., Richmond, C., Klingseisen, A., Main, M., Neely, S.A., Hampton, D.W., Duncan, G.J., Schenk, G.J., Groot, M.L., Chandran, S., Emery, B., Luchicchi, A., Kole, M.H.P., Williams, A.C., Lyons, D.A.
ID
ZDB-PUB-260213-5
Date
2026
Source
Science (New York, N.Y.)   391: eadr4661eadr4661 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Lyons, David A., Meng, Julia, Richmond, Claire
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Central Nervous System*/pathology
  • Demyelinating Diseases*/pathology
  • Demyelinating Diseases*/physiopathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Multiple Sclerosis/pathology
  • Multiple Sclerosis/physiopathology
  • Myelin Sheath*/pathology
  • Myelin Sheath*/physiology
  • Myelin Sheath*/ultrastructure
  • Neurons/physiology
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
41678629 Full text @ Science
Abstract
Myelin damage is a hallmark of several neurological disorders, but how it occurs remains to be fully understood. In this study, we found that early damage in zebrafish and rodent demyelination models is characterized by myelin swelling. We show, through live imaging, that myelin swelling does not always lead to myelin loss and that swellings can sometimes resolve, allowing sheaths to remodel. Increased neuronal activity during early demyelination exacerbates myelin damage, whereas reducing neuronal activity mitigates myelin swelling in both zebrafish and mice. In human multiple sclerosis tissue, myelin swelling is also dynamic and is prominent around active lesions. Our data indicate that myelin swelling is a conserved feature of demyelination and that damage to myelin sheaths can resolve, opening opportunities for targeting human disease.
Genes / Markers
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Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping