Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Psychopharmacology

A supplement for myelin regeneration

by Rockefeller University
December 7, 2015
in Psychopharmacology
Photo credit: Journal of Cell Biology

Photo credit: Journal of Cell Biology

Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay informed on the latest psychology and neuroscience research—follow PsyPost on LinkedIn for daily updates and insights.

Multiple sclerosis patients continually lose the insulating myelin sheath that wraps around neurons and increases the speed of impulses in the central nervous system. Whenever neurons are demyelinated, OPCs migrate toward these cells and differentiate into mature, myelin-producing oligodendrocytes, but this process becomes less and less effective as people age.

A nuclear receptor protein called retinoid X receptor gamma (RXRgamma) is known to promote OPC differentiation and remyelination, but, because nuclear receptors generally function in pairs, a team of researchers led by Robin Franklin at the University of Cambridge, UK, set out to identify RXRgamma’s binding partners and investigate their possible role in remyelination.

RXRγ bound to several nuclear receptors, including VDR, in OPCs and mature oligodendrocytes. Inhibiting VDR impaired OPC differentiation and reduced the cells’ ability to remyelinate axons ex vivo. In contrast, Vitamin D, which binds and activates VDR, boosted OPC differentiation.

Low vitamin D levels have been linked to the onset of multiple sclerosis, and the researchers’ findings suggest that the vitamin might also affect disease progression by controlling myelin sheath regeneration, a critical step to alleviate the disease’s symptoms that fails as patients age. VDR-activating drugs might therefore be able to enhance remyelination in multiple sclerosis patients and in patients suffering from other demyelinating diseases.

TweetSendScanShareSendPinShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

Bacteria in water, 3d illustration
Anxiety

Common antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs tied to major shifts in gut microbiome composition

July 18, 2025

A surprising new study reveals a twist in the gut-brain connection. While anxiety and depression are linked to distinct gut bacteria, commonly prescribed medications show an even stronger association with microbiome changes than the mental health conditions themselves.

Read moreDetails
Stress-induced “fixated” eating patterns linked to dopamine disruption, study finds
Cannabis

Cannabis alternative 9(R)-HHC may be as potent as THC, study in mice suggests

July 17, 2025

A new study shows that only one form of hexahydrocannabinol—9(R)-HHC—produces behavioral effects similar to THC in mice, raising concerns about its psychoactive potential. The findings highlight key differences between HHC variants commonly sold as cannabis alternatives.

Read moreDetails
New study links honor cultures to higher rates of depression, suicidal thoughts
Depression

A single dose of lamotrigine causes subtle changes in emotional memory

July 17, 2025

A new study suggests that lamotrigine, a drug used to prevent bipolar depression, may influence how people recall emotional information. Healthy volunteers who took a single dose remembered more positive self-relevant words than negative ones, without reporting mood changes.

Read moreDetails
ADHD and brainwaves: How neuroscience is changing the way we diagnose the condition
Caffeine

Caffeine increases brain complexity during sleep, study shows

July 16, 2025

Think you can sleep fine after a late coffee? A new study suggests otherwise. Researchers found that while caffeine may not prevent sleep, it creates a "shallower" rest by increasing brain complexity and pushing it toward a more wake-like state.

Read moreDetails
New research sheds light on psychedelics’ complex relationship to psychosis and mania
Mental Health

Psychedelic retreats show promise in easing depression, PTSD, and reintegration struggles among veterans

July 16, 2025

Military veterans who attended psilocybin or ayahuasca retreats showed improvements in measures of depression, PTSD, anxiety, and reintegration into civilian life compared to their baseline assessments.

Read moreDetails
Female cannabis users have smaller volume of the cerebellum and poorer sleep quality, study finds
Cannabis

Medicinal cannabis may actually worsen sleep, a new study finds

July 16, 2025

While many people use cannabis to help them sleep, a new study reveals a surprising outcome. Researchers found a single dose of a medicinal cannabis oil actually decreased total sleep time and significantly suppressed the REM sleep (or dreaming) phase.

Read moreDetails
Caffeine use prevents stress-induced impairment of spatial memory
Caffeine

Caffeine may help prevent depression-like symptoms by protecting the gut-brain connection

July 15, 2025

Caffeine may help prevent stress-induced depression-like symptoms in mice by protecting gut health and reducing inflammation. While more research is needed, the findings raise the possibility that everyday dietary habits could play a meaningful role in mental health

Read moreDetails
Pills spilling out of a bottle on a table
ADHD

Methylphenidate: ADHD drug curbs impulsivity in men only, linked to brain wiring differences

July 13, 2025

Researchers found that methylphenidate lowers impulsive choice behavior in men but not women. The effect was associated with the structural integrity of specific white matter tracts in the brain, highlighting potential sex-based differences in drug response.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Psychopathic traits linked to distinct brain networks in new neuroscience research

Attention deficits may linger for months in COVID-19 survivors, even after physical recovery

Romantic breakups can trigger trauma-like brain activity in young adults

Disgust toward meat may be a relic of our evolutionary past

Surprisingly strong link found between a woman’s address and her memory decline

Scientists reveal a widespread but previously unidentified psychological phenomenon

Dopamine’s stronghold is the striatum, not the cortex, brain imaging study suggests

Brain injuries linked to criminal behavior highlight importance of white matter tract damage

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy