Zebrafish myelination: a transparent model for remyelination?

Abstract

There is currently an unmet need for a therapy that promotes the regenerative process of remyelination in central nervous system diseases, notably multiple sclerosis (MS). A high-throughput model is, therefore, required to screen potential therapeutic drugs and to refine genomic and proteomic data from MS lesions. Here, we review the value of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) larva as a model of the developmental process of myelination, describing the powerful applications of zebrafish for genetic manipulation and genetic screens, as well as some of the exciting imaging capabilities of this model. Finally, we discuss how a model of zebrafish myelination can be used as a high-throughput screening model to predict the effect of compounds on remyelination. We conclude that zebrafish provide a highly versatile myelination model. As more complex transgenic zebrafish lines are developed, it might soon be possible to visualise myelination, or even remyelination, in real time. However, experimental outputs must be designed carefully for such visual and temporal techniques.