Remyelination of the Central Nervous System: A Valuable Contribution from the Periphery

The loss of myelin, a major element involved in the saltatory conduction of the electrical impulse of the nervous system, is a major target of current research. Serious long-term disabilities are observed in patients with demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis. New therapeutic strategies aimed at overcoming myelin damage and axonal loss focus on the repair potential of myelin-forming cells. This review examines the use of peripheral myelin-forming cells, the Schwann cells, to promote myelin repair. NEUROSCIENTIST 13(4):383—391, 2007. DOI: 10.1177/1073858407300762