Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 22, 2025
09:24
A Protocol to Evaluate and Quantify Retinal Pigmented Epithelium Pathologies in Mouse Models of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Published on: March 10, 2023
1.8K
Remyelination in humans due to a retinoid-X receptor agonist is age-dependent
Christopher E McMurran1, Trisha Mukherjee1, J William L Brown1,2,3
1Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology
|May 19, 2022
Summary
Bexarotene, a retinoid-X receptor agonist, improved remyelination in younger multiple sclerosis patients. Age significantly impacts remyelination capacity, highlighting the need for lifespan-inclusive therapies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Neurology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Remyelination, the repair of myelin sheaths, declines with age.
- This age-related decline in remyelination efficiency is difficult to demonstrate in human multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
- Developing therapies that promote remyelination across all age groups is crucial for MS treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of bexarotene, a retinoid-X receptor agonist, in promoting remyelination in human patients.
- To determine if age affects the capacity for remyelination in response to bexarotene treatment.
- To assess the impact of bexarotene on visual evoked potential latency and gray matter lesions in chronic optic neuropathy.
Main Methods:
- A study involving patients with chronic optic neuropathy.
- Administration of bexarotene, a potential remyelinating agent.
- Measurement of visual evoked potential latency and magnetization transfer ratio in deep gray matter lesions.
Main Results:
- Bexarotene shortened visual evoked potential latency in patients under 42 years old, with a diminishing effect of 0.45 ms per year of age.
- Bexarotene increased the magnetization transfer ratio of deep gray matter lesions in patients under 43 years old.
- These effects were specific to younger age groups, indicating an age-related decline in remyelination capacity.
Conclusions:
- Bexarotene demonstrates remyelinating potential in younger individuals with chronic optic neuropathy.
- Age is a significant factor limiting remyelination efficacy in humans.
- Future remyelinating therapies must address age-related declines to be effective across the lifespan.
