Resolving the mechanical paradox of myelination

Journal article

Current preclinical models fail to capture the mechanics of oligodendrocyte myelination. Lasli et al.1 now demonstrate that the mechanical compliance of the axonal niche is a key determinant of oligodendrocyte maturation. By developing a platform that mimics the extreme mechanical softness of the central nervous system, they reveal myelination as a mechanically gated process as much as a biochemically regulated one.

Authors: Fritzsche, M

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Nature Research
• Journal: Communications Biology
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 586
• Article number: 586
• Publication date: 2026-04-28
• DOI: 10.1038/s42003-026-10114-1
• EISSN: 2399-3642
• ISSN: 2399-3642
• Language: English
• Keywords: Oligodendrocyte; Process (computing); Axonal degeneration; Nervous system; Context (archaeology); Central nervous system