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Abstract

The central nervous system is susceptible to gradual decline with age, affecting all types of glial cells in the process. Compared to other glial cells, the oligodendroglial lineage is highly vulnerable to ageing and undergoes significant characteristic changes that impact upon its structure and impair its physiological functions. Therefore, the ageing and degeneration of oligodendroglia become major risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases. During the age-related disease process, changes in oligodendroglia lead to a decline in their ability to regenerate myelin and respond to the aged microenvironment, which are closely linked to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, facilitating the emergence of these diseases in older populations. In this chapter, we introduce the physiological changes of oligodendroglia during ageing and the related mechanisms and then summarise their pathophysiological contributions to age-related cognitive disorders. Finally, we discuss potential therapeutic strategies that target oligodendroglia for future research on neurodegenerative diseases.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPhysiology and Pathophysiology of Oligodendroglia
EditorsChenju Yi, Arthur Butt, Alexei Verkhratsky, Jianqin Niu
PublisherSpringer Cham
Pages363-405
Number of pages43
Edition1st
ISBN (Electronic)9783031879197
ISBN (Print)9783031879180, 9783031879210
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Jun 2025

Publication series

NameAdvances in Neurobiology
Volume43
ISSN (Print)2190-5215
ISSN (Electronic)2190-5223

Keywords

  • Ageing
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Huntington’s disease
  • Multiple system atrophy
  • Neurodegeneration
  • Oligodendrocytes
  • Parkinson’s disease

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