What is "remyelination"

n. The regeneration of a nerve's myelin sheath.

Remyelination is the process of propagating oligodendrocyte precursor cells to form oligodendrocytes to create new myelin sheaths on demyelinated axons in the CNS. This is a process naturally regulated in the body and tends to be very efficient in a healthy CNS. The process creates a thinner myelin sheath than normal, but it helps to protect the axon from further damage, from overall degeneration, and proves to increase conductance once again. Demyelinating diseases, such as Multiple Sclerosis, have been of utmost interest within the last couple of decades. Recent research is uncovering some of the many unknown pathways involved with remyelination in hopes of battling demyelinating diseases like MS which can ultimately cripple a person. While no treatment exists yet in preventing remyelination failure in the chronic stages of these diseases, future research may yet prove to unlock key pathways that can be targeted.