Rodent EAE model for the study of axon integrity and remyelination

Abstract

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-induced murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a widely accepted model for studying the clinical and pathological features of multiple sclerosis (MS). The model has previously been used to demonstrate that fostering remyelination can be effective in moderating disease progression. Approaches to enhance myelination include the transplantation of OPCs, Schwann cells, olfactory ensheathing cells, or neural stem cells into the primary demyelinated lesions1, or the promotion of oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) differentiation2-5, such as by LINGO-1 antagonism6,7. Functional recovery from demyelination can be assessed via approaches for the histological preparation of tissues for light microscopy, magnetic resonance DTI imaging, and electron microscopy, as presented in this protocol.