Expert opinion on therapeutic targets
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Expert Opin. Ther. Targets · Dec 2009
ReviewFactors that retard remyelination in multiple sclerosis with a focus on TIP30: a novel therapeutic target.
In the CNS oligodendrocytes produce myelin and ensheath individual axons after birth. Demyelination disables saltatory conduction and leads to loss of neural functions. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) are immature and abundant reservoir cells in the adult brain that are capable of differentiating into myelinating oligodendrocytes. ⋯ TIP30 inhibits proper nucleocytoplasmic transport and thus disables nuclear import of transcription factors that are required for differentiation. TIP30 may also increase susceptibility of OPCs to cell death. In this review, we examine the pathophysiological nature of remyelination failure in chronic MS and discuss the role of TIP30 as a novel therapeutic target.