PROMOTION OF ENDOGENEOUS REMYELINATION IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

Studies in both human and experimental models demonstrate that myelin repair occurs in the central nervous system and is a normal physiologi c response to myelin injury. However, remyelination in MS is often inc omplete and limited. The outcome of an actively demyelinating lesion d epends on the balance between factors Promoting myelin destruction and myelin repair. Experimental models of CNS demyelination provide an op portunity to investigate the morphologic, cellular and molecular mecha nisms involved in remyelination. This review focuses on experiments us ing the Theiler's virus model of demylination which indicate that mani pulation of the immune response has the potential to Promote endogenou s CNS remyelination and functional recovery in MS.