“IRF5 regulates microglial myelin clearance and cholesterol metabolism after demyelination.”
Alejandro Montilla, et al. – University of the Basque Country.
This study found that the transcription factor Irf5 is required for clearance of myelin debris by microglia in demyelination models. Beyond its canonical roles in immune pathways, IRF5 regulates lipid metabolism, enabling microglia to break down lipid-rich myelin after phagocytosis. As clearance of damaged myelin is an essential step towards remyelination, boosting IRF5 activity could potentially assist this process later in the time-course of MS.
