Overview
Myelin is the lipid-rich, multilayered membrane that wraps around the axons of many neurons, forming an insulating sheath that is essential for the rapid and efficient transmission of electrical impulses in the nervous system. In the central nervous system myelin is produced by oligodendrocytes, whose development is governed by signalling pathways including Wnt, while in the peripheral nervous system it is formed by Schwann cells. Constituting the white matter of the brain and spinal cord, the myelin sheath is interrupted at regular intervals by nodes of Ranvier, enabling saltatory conduction in which the nerve impulse jumps between nodes, greatly increasing conduction velocity while conserving energy and space. Myelin also provides metabolic and trophic support to the axons it ensheathes. Damage to myelin, through demyelination or failure of its formation, slows or blocks conduction and produces neurological dysfunction. This underlies disorders such as multiple sclerosis, in which immune-mediated demyelination affects both adult and paediatric patients and is investigated through diagnostic and therapeutic studies including phototherapy trials, as well as leukodystrophies and leukoencephalopathies such as Canavan disease, where metabolic disturbance impairs myelin and astrocyte function. Understanding the biology of myelination, the cells that produce it, and the mechanisms of its injury and potential repair is central to neuroscience and to the development of treatments for demyelinating and dysmyelinating diseases.
Research published in this journal
8 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
Peripheral Third Cranial Nerve Palsy in A Patient With Pediatric Form of Multiple Sclerosis
Rescuing Canavan Disease by Redirecting Metabolic Processing: Support for the Astrocyte Hypothesis of Canavan Disease Generation and A Possible Human Cure
The Role of FIP-2 (Optineurin) in Regulation of the Chemokines and Kinases
Diagnostics of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in a Patient with Concomitant Lymphoma Infiltration of Central Nervous System During R-CHOP Chemotherapy- A Case Presentation and Review of the Literature.
Ultraviolet B Phototherapy Intervention in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Prospective, Randomized Pilot Trial
Challenges in Diagnosis of Neurosarcoidosis
The Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19): A Narrative Review
How this research is being cited
The 8 articles above have been cited 42 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
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2026 · Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences
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2026 · Cells
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2026 · Molecular Psychiatry
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2025 · Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences
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Uwe Riedmann et al. · 2025 · Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences
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2025 · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
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2025 · Genome Biology
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2024 · Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Myelin, linking to each citing work.