Overview

• In research led by Case Western Reserve University's Institute for Glial Sciences, SOX6 emerged as a key regulator that keeps oligodendrocytes immature by a process described as gene melting.
• Analysis of human brain tissue linked an elevated SOX6-associated immature oligodendrocyte signature specifically to multiple sclerosis, with no similar pattern in Alzheimer's or Parkinson's samples.
• An antisense oligonucleotide targeting SOX6 in mouse models prompted oligodendrocyte maturation and local myelination within days.
• The authors suggest oligodendrocytes in MS may be stalled rather than irreparably damaged, but they emphasize the findings remain preclinical and require safety and translational studies.
• The peer-reviewed results were published August 25 in Cell and involved collaborators from Ionis Pharmaceuticals, the Whitehead Institute, and Baylor College of Medicine, with support from NIH, HHMI, NYSCF, and the National MS Society.