Post Body:
Oligodendrocytes are critical for central nervous system (CNS) function, producing the myelin sheath that insulates axons and facilitates rapid nerve signal transmission. In diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), myelin loss disrupts neuronal communication, leading to progressive disability. While astrocytes and microglia have been well-studied in neurodegeneration, research on oligodendrocytes has been limited due to the challenges of primary cell isolation and culturing.
A study explores the use of iPSC-derived oligodendrocytes as a model to better understand myelination and its dysfunction in disease.
The research focused on two key areas:
- Characterizing iPSC-derived oligodendrocytes
- Developing a co-culture system with iPSC-derived glutamatergic neurons to assess oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination
The results demonstrated that iPSC-derived oligodendrocytes exhibit a pre-myelinating state upon thawing, with rapid maturation from day six onward. In co-culture with glutamatergic neurons, these cells showed increasing myelin-binding protein (MBP) expression over time, confirming active myelination.
High-content imaging further revealed that MBP-positive oligodendrocytes are closely associated with neuronal axons, supporting the relevance of this model for studying myelination in vitro.
This iPSC-based system provides a controlled and reproducible platform for investigating oligodendrocyte behavior, offering valuable insights into myelination disorders. To study these processes, such models may contribute to more targeted drug development strategies for MS and other neurodegenerative diseases.
