Remyelination by oligodendrocytes stimulated by antiserum to spinal cord.

The new synthesis of myelin and the proliferation of oligodendrocytes was stimulated by serum from syngeneic mice immunized with homogenized spinal cord (SCH). Treatment with this antiserum produced a 10-fold increase in the area of remyelination in spinal cords that had become demyelinated previously as a result of infection by Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus. Inflammation was decreased in regions of white matter that showed remyelination. Oligodendrocytes exposed to anti-SCH in vitro incorporated three to five times more [3H]thymidine than resting cells did and expressed more myelin basic protein in their cytoplasm, suggesting stimulation of myelinogenesis. Thus, there is a factor present in anti-SCH antiserum that stimulates central nervous system-type remyelination. This finding may provide clues for the therapy of patients with demyelinating disorders such as multiple sclerosis.