Oligodendrocyte Fate after Spinal Cord Injury

After a spinal cord injury, oligodendrocytes, which are essential for insulating nerve fibers, are highly vulnerable and die off, leading to demyelination. This loss impairs the function and survival of axons, the long threads that carry nerve signals. In response to this damage, the body attempts to repair itself by generating new oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, especially around the injury site. These cells can mature into oligodendrocytes and begin to remyelinate damaged axons, typically starting about two weeks after the injury. The review analyzes mechanisms of oligodendrocyte loss and replacement, and myelination after SCI, highlighting areas for potential therapeutic intervention. It further discusses studies focused on protecting existing oligodendrocytes and replacing lost ones through growth factors and cell transplantation.

• 1
  Oligodendrocytes are particularly susceptible to the toxic environment created by spinal cord injury, leading to their death through both necrosis and apoptosis.
• 2
  The body initiates a proliferative response of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, particularly at the lesion borders, which can differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes to remyelinate axons.
• 3
  Factors involved in oligodendrocyte specification, migration, and differentiation during development are reactivated after SCI, suggesting an attempt to rebuild myelin in a way that mimics the developmental process.