Myelin is primarily damaged by the body's own immune system when it mistakenly identifies myelin as a foreign substance.
How the Immune System Damages Myelin
When the immune system incorrectly targets myelin, a cascade of events leads to its destruction:
- Misidentification: Immune cells incorrectly recognize myelin as a threat. According to our reference, this is the initiating event.
- Inflammation: The immune system produces inflammatory substances. These substances attack and damage the myelin sheath.
- Cell Death: Eventually, the cells responsible for producing myelin, specifically oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells, are killed off by the immune response.
This process is central to several neurological disorders, where myelin degradation significantly impacts nerve function.
