TDP-43 controls the molecular programs of oligodendroglial differentiation

Myelin is the lipid-rich insulating coating made by glial cells to wrap the neuronal axons. This coating is essential for making fast and precise electrical conduction along the axon. Without it, conduction slowdown or block results and can cause a broad range of neurological deficits. Demyelination has been observed in traumatic brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury. Myelin repair, or remyelination, will be integral to neural repair in order to completely restore the neurological functions. However, the mechanisms regulating myelination are still not well understood. In this proposed project, we study a master gene regulator in glial cells and will determine its functional role in myelination.