Regulatory T Cells Contribute to Reduced Myelination in the Aging Brain Myelin surrounds the axons that connect neurons to one another, and is required for the transmission of electrical impulses. This myelin sheath is maintained by oligodendrocytes. These cells do not carry out their work in isolation; a great many factors are involved in determining the size and capabilities of the oligodendrocyte population. Aging is disruptive to the myelination carried out by oligodendrocytes. The consequences are not as bad as the profound loss of myelin that takes place in demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis, but age-related loss of myelination does appear to degrade cognitive function. Researchers are thus interested in understanding the mechanisms involved, in search of ways to restore a youthful capacity for myelination in the aging brain. Myelin regeneration (remyelination) is essential to […]
https://www.fightaging.org/arc....hives/2024/03/regula