Advances in Therapeutics Research for Demyelinating Diseases

Demyelinating diseases comprise a group of chronic and debilitating neurological disorders, with the destruction of the myelin sheath serving as the core pathological hallmark. The central pathogenesis involves immune-mediated damage to oligodendrocytes (Ols) and myelin breakdown, accompanied by a vicious cycle of neuroinflammation and impaired epigenetic repair. Current therapeutic strategies, including conventional immunomodulatory agents to targeted monoclonal antibodies, effectively control disease relapses but exhibit limited efficacy in promoting neural repair. Consequently, research focus is increasingly shifting towards neuroprotective and remyelination strategies. In this context, Emerging therapeutic promise stems primarily from two fronts: the advent of novel pharmaceuticals, such as remyelination-promoting drugs targeting oligodendrocyte maturation, interventions inhibiting epigenetic silencing, signal pathway inhibitors, and natural products derived from traditional Chinese medicine; the development of innovative technologies, including cell therapies, gene therapy, exosome and nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems, as well as extracellular protein degradation platforms. Nevertheless, drug development still faces challenges such as disease heterogeneity, limited blood-brain barrier penetration, long-term safety, and difficulties in translating findings from preclinical models. Future efforts should emphasize precision medicine, multi-target synergistic therapies, and the development of intelligent delivery systems, with the ultimate goal of achieving a paradigm shift from delaying disability progression to functional neural reconstruction.