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Research
2017.08.29

Peripherally derived FGF21 promotes remyelination in the central nervous system (Yamashita group, in JCI)

PRESS RELEASE

Toshihide Yamashita's group (Molecular Neuroscience) and others found that fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), derived from peripheral tissue, leaks into the central nervous system (CNS) after injury and promotes remyelination in a murine model of toxin-induced demyelination.
Remyelination is initiated by proliferation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). The group showed that β-klotho (essential co-receptor of FGF21) expression in OPCs of multiple sclerosis patients, and further revealed that FGF21 promotes human OPC proliferation. The results suggest that promotion of remyelination by FGF21 could treat multiple sclerosis.



Figure 1. Remyelination is promoted by peripheral FGF21.

 
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Contact:
 Molecular Neuroscience Toshihide Yamashita

Toshihide Yamashita(Molecular Neuroscience)

Tel +81-6-6879-3661
yamashitamolneu.med.osaka-u.ac.jp

Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University (WPI-IFReC)