Monocyte-secreted Wnt reduces the efficiency of central nervous system remyelination
The regeneration of myelin in the central nervous system (CNS) reinstates nerve health and function, yet its decreased efficiency with aging and progression of neurodegenerative disease contributes to axonal loss and/or degeneration. Although CNS myeloid cells have been implicated in regulating the efficiency of remyelination, the distinct contribution of blood monocytes versus that of resident microglia is unclear. Here, we reveal that monocytes have non-redundant functions compared to microglia in regulating remyelination. Using a transgenic mouse in which classical monocytes have reduced egress from bone marrow (Ccr2-/-), we demonstrate that monocytes drive the timely onset of oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelin protein expression, yet impede myelin production. Ribonucleic acid sequencing revealed a Wnt signature in wild-type mouse lesion monocytes, which was confirmed in monocytes from multiple sclerosis white matter lesions and blood. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of Wnt release by monocytes increased remyelination. Our findings reveal monocytes to be critical regulators of remyelination and identify monocytic Wnt signaling as a promising therapeutic target to inhibit for increased efficiency of CNS regeneration.
Authors
- Craig S. Moore (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3333-435X)
- Jamie Rose (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8110-376X)
- Stefka Gyoneva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7714-9450)
- Brian T. Wipke
- Koroboshka Brand‐Arzamendi
- Josef Priller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7596-0979)
- Jonathan K. Monteiro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4787-0757)
- Neva J. Fudge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9018-0698)
- Irene Molina-González (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5966-0351)
- Pamela Plant (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3781-4337)
- R. Holloway (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9396-7776)
- Lindsey H. Forbes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9004-5186)
- Sarah Kent (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8545-3724)
- Ayisha Mahmood (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5096-157X)
- Véronique E. Miron (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1738-0647)
- Claire L. Davies (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5735-944X)
- Christina Brown (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2811-8943)
- Raphaël Schneider (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1776-2418)
- Richard M. Ransohoff
- Bailey Hill
Institutions
- St. Michael's Hospital (CA)
- Biogen (United States) (US)
- Memorial University of Newfoundland (CA)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Third Way (US)
- TUM Klinikum (DE)
- Manus Bio (United States) (US)
- UK Dementia Research Institute (GB)
- Technical University of Munich (DE)
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- PLoS Biology
- Published
- 2025-04-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3003073
- Primary Topic
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Biogen
- St. Michael's Hospital Foundation
- Multiple Sclerosis Society
- Medical Research Council