Jayshree Samanta

My lab studies regeneration of myelin from neural stem cells residing in the adult mammalian brain. Myelin is the insulating sheath formed by spiral wrapping of oligodendrocyte processes around axons of neurons and its main function is to increase the nerve conduction velocity.  Loss of myelin or demyelination occurs during healthy aging as well as in many neurological diseases including Multiple Sclerosis, Schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s Disease. Our goal is to identify druggable targets for enhancing regeneration of myelin or remyelination, by unraveling the signaling pathways responsible for altering proliferation, migration, and differentiation of neural stem cells in the demyelinated brain.