Novel Approaches to the Treatment of Preterm White Matter Injury through Targeting Remyelination.

Preterm white matter injury (WMI) is a common cause of cerebral palsy and cognitive disability after premature birth. Preterm WMI is caused by a differentiation arrest in the oligodendrocyte (OL) lineage, and a failure of myelination. As there are no specific treatments, care is supportive and focused on rehabilitation. However, novel high-throughput screening methods have enabled the identification of "pro-myelinating" compounds that promote OL differentiation and myelination. Many of these compounds stimulate remyelination in animal models and patients with demyelinating disorders. The shared mechanisms of remyelination and developmental myelination suggest that pro-myelinating compounds may have potential utility in preterm WMI.