Myelin dysfunction/degradation in the central nervous system: why are myelin sheaths susceptible to damage?

Abstract

In the central nervous system, myelin sheaths are produced to electrically insulate axons and to increase the velocity of axonal conduction. They are highly complex structures, which are often destructed in neurological disorders. One possible reason for the vulnerability of myelin sheaths to damage became apparent from analyses of animals with altered amounts of otherwise normal myelin components: Due to limited redundance in function between different myelin proteins, dysfunction or loss of one protein may cause loss of function and instability of the entire myelin sheath.