Resolving the mechanical paradox of myelination.
Fritzsche M.
Current preclinical models fail to capture the mechanics of oligodendrocyte myelination. Lasli et al. now demonstrate that the mechanical compliance of the axonal niche is a key determinant of oligodendrocyte maturation. By developing a platform that mimics the extreme mechanical softness of the central nervous system, they reveal myelination as a mechanically gated process as much as a biochemically regulated one.