Axonal degeneration is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis, but it remains unclear what triggers degeneration. By monitoring the development of axonal damage in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, Ivana Nikić et al. describe a new variant of axonal degeneration. Axonal damage is present in myelinated axons and is reversible using scavengers of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, thereby suggesting that early stages of degeneration may be amenable to therapeutic intervention.
- Ivana Nikić
- Doron Merkler
- Martin Kerschensteiner
