Strategies targeting oligodendrocyte progenitors and neuroinflammation to promote myelin repair in neurological diseases

A growing body of evidence highlights that oligodendrocyte dysfunction and myelin damage are hallmarks of various neurological disorders. Loss of myelin integrity is not exclusive to multiple sclerosis, the prototypical demyelinating disease, but is also a key feature of cerebral ischemia and neurodegenerative conditions such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

By utilizing models of these pathologies, our research explores the critical role of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) and neuroinflammation in myelin repair. This presentation proposes two primary therapeutic strategies: i) reshaping the inflammatory microenvironment in brain ischemia by leveraging microglial extracellular vesicles (EVs) to promote OPC maturation and improve functional outcomes; ii) targeting the GPR17 receptor pharmacologically in ALS to overcome OPC maturation blocks and limit neuronal loss.