The myelin sheath plays crucial roles in brain development and neuronal functions. In the central nervous system, myelin is generated by oligodendrocytes, that differentiate from oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPC). In demyelinating diseases, the differentiation capacity of OPC is impaired and remyelination is dampened. Boosting remyelination by promoting OPC differentiation is a novel strategy for the treatment of demyelinating diseases. The opioid system, which consists of four receptors and their ligands, has been implicated in OPC differentiation and myelin formation. However, the exact roles of each opioid receptor and the relevant pharmacological molecules in OPC differentiation and myelin formation remain elusive. In the present study, specific agonists and antagonists of each opioid receptor were used to explore the function of opioid receptors in OPC differentiation. Nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor (NOPR) specific antagonist LY2940094 was found to stimulate OPC differentiation and myelination in both in vitro and in vivo models. Unexpectedly, other NOPR ligands did not affect OPC differentiation, and NOPR knockdown did not mimic or impede the effect of LY2940094. LY2940094 was found to modulate the expression of the oligodendrocytes differentiation-associated transcription factors ID4 and Myrf, although the exact mechanism remains unclear. Since LY2940094 has been tested clinically to treat depression and alcohol dependency and has displayed an acceptable safety profile, it may provide an alternative approach to treat demyelinating diseases.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neurot.2024.e00424 | DOI Listing |
J Transl Med
December 2024
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, 2075 Qunli Seventh Avenue, Daoli District, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang Province, China.
Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) inflicts a severe burden on patients and lacks effective treatments. Owing to the poor regenerative capabilities of endogenous oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) following SCI, there is a growing interest in alternative sources, such as human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSCs). TET3 is a key DNA demethylase that plays an important role in neural differentiation, but its role in OPC formation is not well understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Biomater Sci Eng
December 2024
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903-1738 United States.
The current lack of therapeutic approaches to demyelinating disorders and injuries stems from a lack of knowledge surrounding the underlying mechanisms of myelination. This knowledge gap motivates the development of effective models to study the role of environmental cues in oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) maturation. Such models should focus on determining, which factors influence OPCs to proliferate and differentiate into mature myelinating oligodendrocytes (OLs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Pathol
December 2024
Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences 'Rodolfo Paoletti', Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
White matter damage and subsequent demyelination significantly contribute to long-term functional impairment after ischaemic stroke. Identifying novel pharmacological targets to restore myelin integrity by promoting the maturation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) into new myelinating oligodendrocytes may open new perspectives for ischaemic stroke treatment. In this respect, previous studies highlighted the role of the G protein-coupled membrane receptor 17 (GPR17) as a key regulator of OPC differentiation in experimental models of brain injury, including ischaemic stroke.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCells
December 2024
Department of Molecular Physiology, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
GABAergic signaling and GABA receptors play crucial roles in regulating the physiology of oligodendrocyte-lineage cells, including their proliferation, differentiation, and myelination. Therefore, they are promising targets for studying how spinal oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) respond to injuries and neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis. Taking advantage of the temporally controlled and cell-specific genetic downregulation of GABA receptors from OPCs, our investigation addresses their specific influence on OPC behavior in the gray and white matter of the mouse spinal cord.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: This study aims to elucidate ancestry-specific changes to the genomic regulatory architecture in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived oligodendroglia, focusing on their implications for Alzheimer's disease (AD). This work addresses the lack of diversity in previous iPSC studies by including ancestries that contribute to African American (European/African) and Hispanic/Latino populations (Amerindian/African/European).
Methods: We generated 12 iPSC lines-four African, four Amerindian, and four European- from both AD patients and non-cognitively impaired individuals, with varying genotypes ( and ).
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