Research Exploring Myelin Breakdown in the Brain and MS

Based in Franklin, Tennessee, Janek Pawlik is a longtime consultant in the manufacturing and technology spheres. Janek Pawlik researches many areas of interest, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and how to fight it.

An article published in Cell Metabolism in April 2023 features research on demyelination undertaken at Texas Children’s Hospital, the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, and the Baylor College of Medicine. The myelin is an insulating sheath that enables seamless communication between nerve cells in the brain. Its degeneration is often accompanied by neuroinflammation and damages the brain.

With demyelination associated with MS as well as Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, little evidence exists as to the exact molecular steps by which it causes a loss of neurons and glia, the main brain cell types. The new research reveals that very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA) begin accumulating as myelin breaks down, triggering an autoimmune response that attacks brain cells. VLCFA are a rare type of fatty acid common in the myelin sheath.

The researchers also discovered that a reduction in VLCFA, as well as levels of Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P, a bioactive lipid), through the use of existing drugs Fingolimod and Bezafibrate, had a synergistic beneficial effect in animal models and applications when treating MS. The data offers insight into the way in which S1P, a major product of VLCFA breakdown, is the root cause of neuron and glial death in the brain. It also suggests further research centered on S1P’s transport mechanism and how this is tied to neuroinflammation and MS.