The Interplay of Inflammation and Remyelination: Rethinking MS Treatment with a Focus on Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells

Overview

Journal Mol Neurodegener

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Molecular Biology
Neurology

Date 2024 Jul 12

PMID 38997755

Authors

Omri Zveik

Ariel Rechtman

Tal Ganz

Adi Vaknin-Dembinsky

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) therapeutic goals have traditionally been dichotomized into two distinct avenues: immune-modulatory-centric interventions and pro-regenerative strategies. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) were regarded for many years solely in concern to their potential to generate oligodendrocytes and myelin in the central nervous system (CNS). However, accumulating data elucidate the multifaceted roles of OPCs, including their immunomodulatory functions, positioning them as cardinal constituents of the CNS's immune landscape.

Main Body: In this review, we will discuss how the two therapeutic approaches converge. We present a model by which (1) an inflammation is required for the appropriate pro-myelinating immune function of OPCs in the chronically inflamed CNS, and (2) the immune function of OPCs is crucial for their ability to differentiate and promote remyelination. This model highlights the reciprocal interactions between OPCs' pro-myelinating and immune-modulating functions. Additionally, we review the specific effects of anti- and pro-inflammatory interventions on OPCs, suggesting that immunosuppression adversely affects OPCs' differentiation and immune functions.

Conclusion: We suggest a multi-systemic therapeutic approach, which necessitates not a unidimensional focus but a harmonious balance between OPCs' pro-myelinating and immune-modulatory functions.

Citing Articles

Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Boost Functional Performance in an Animal Model of Multiple Sclerosis Through Recruiting Oligodendrocytes and Attenuating Gliosis.

Mirab S, Omidi A, Soleimani M, Soufi-Zomorrod M, Fekrirad Z Stem Cell Rev Rep. 2025; .

PMID: 40053309 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-025-10858-z.

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