Restoration of function by glial cell transplantation into demyelinated spinal cord.

Transplantation of myelin-forming cells into the demyelinated spinal cord results in remyelination. This paper reviews the electrophysiological properties of demyelinated axons remyelinated by transplantation of myelin-forming cells. Conduction velocity and frequency-response properties of the remyelinated axons are restored to near normal values. Moreover, conduction block can be overcome by remyelination, and no abnormal firing is observed. There is discussion of the challenges of a potential cell therapy approach in human demyelinating disease.