Abstract
Delivery of factors capable of promoting oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) survival and differentiation in vivo is an important therapeutic strategy for a variety of pathologies in which demyelination is a component, including multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury. Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is a neuropoietic cytokine that promotes both survival and maturation of a variety of neuronal and glial cell populations, including oligodendrocytes. Present results suggest that, although CNTF has a potent survival and differentiation promoting effect in vitro on OPCs isolated from the adult spinal cord, CNTF administration in vivo is not sufficient to promote oligodendrocyte remyelination in the glial-depleted environment of unilateral ethidium bromide (EB) lesions.