Sphingosine-1-phosphate and oligodendrocytes: From cell development to the treatment of multiple sclerosis

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive sphingolipid that mediates a wide variety of biological effects in different cells and tissues. This review discusses the effects of S1P signaling in oligodendrocytes, the myelin making cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Results from different laboratories have uncovered direct actions of S1P at different maturational stages along the oligodendroglial lineage. There is also evidence for the existence in oligodendrocytes of interactions between S1P and signaling by factors which, like neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), have profound effects on oligodendrocyte development and myelination. Moreover, S1P signaling in oligodendrocytes may not only play an important role during normal CNS development but also offer new therapeutic avenues to stimulate remyelination in demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis.