Neurol Sci. 2003 Dec;24 Suppl 5:S291-4
Aloisi F.
Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di
Sanita, Viale Regina Elena 299, I-00161, Rome, Italy.
Recent studies have provided new insights on the identity and mechanisms of action of growth factors implicated in myelination processes.
Members of several different families of growth factors have been shown to affect oligodendrocyte survival, proliferation and differentiation and their manipulation in the experimental animal provides a means to clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying repair processes in the injured central nervous system.
A future challenge is to use this knowledge to boost remyelination and ameliorate clinical symptoms in patients with demyelinating diseases, like multiple sclerosis.