Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40750890›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuroinflammation2025

Dihydroartemisinin enhances remyelination by switching microglia to the reparative phenotype.

Li Liu, Lina Yang, Xinke Du, Xiaoxi Kan, Qingsen Ran, Yang Zhang, Manjing Li, Qingwu Liu, Yujie Li, Qing Yang and 4 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuroinflammation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Li Liu *State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Lina Yang *State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Xinke Du *State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Xiaoxi KanChina Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100029, China.
Qingsen RanState Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Yang ZhangState Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Manjing LiState Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Qingwu LiuDepartment of Dermatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China.
Yujie LiState Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Qing YangState Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Ying ChenState Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Keshan DongState Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
Xiaoxin ZhuState Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China. zhuxx@icmm.ac.cn.
Qi LiState Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-Di Herbs, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China. qli@icmm.ac.cn.

Funding

Beijing Natural Science Foundation of China 7232302 and 7254505China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Innovation Fund CI2021B015 and CI2021A05015National Natural Science Foundation of China 82274129Special Training Program for Outstanding Young Scientific and Technological Talents of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Science ZZ13-YQ-044The National Science and Technology Major Projects for Major New Drugs Innovation and Development 2017ZX09101002-002-002
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBoosting myelin repair is widely recognized as one of the most powerful approaches for demyelinating therapy, essentially contributing to the recovery of neurological functions. Maintaining immune homeostasis in microglia is a prerequisite for creating a reparative environment for myelin. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) is clinically effective in reshaping immunological status and implies potential in treating demyelinating disease. However, its relevance to pro-remyelination remains unclear.

methodsWe first evaluated the effects of DHA on neurofunctional recovery and white matter integrity in chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an ideal model for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) characterized by remyelination deficiency. Single-cell sequencing and microglial depletion with PLX3397 in vivo were used to reveal the dependency between DHA and microglia. The effect of DHA on the reparative phenotype of microglia, particularly on cholesterol recycling and differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), was evaluated in microglia-OPCs unit either in vitro or in vivo challenged with myelin debris. Finally, to broaden the clinical application for DHA in myelin repair, it was tested in the cuprizone (CPZ) model which shows remyelination failure, a condition common in various neurodegenerative diseases.

resultsWe demonstrated for the first time that DHA enhanced white matter integrity and OPCs proliferation and differentiation. This effect is dependent on the transition of microglia to a reparative phenotype. Specifically, DHA increased the secretion of inflammatory-resolving and neurotrophic cytokines. It further functionalized cholesterol recycling and provided metabolic support for myelin regeneration predominantly mediated by liver X receptor (LXR) in microglia. This was evidenced by the promotion of myelin debris uptake, cholesterol catabolism, efflux and transport. Notably, DHA promoted remyelination and neurological functional recovery in CPZ-induced demyelinating model, supporting its potential application in neurodegenerative diseases featuring insufficient remyelination.

conclusionBy highlighting the importance of microglia in promoting myelin regeneration, our study proved DHA as a promising candidate for promoting remyelination.

Indexed as

ArtemisininsEncephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, ExperimentalMicrogliaRemyelinationAnimalsCuprizoneFemaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMyelin SheathPhenotypeArtemisininsartenimolCuprizoneCholesterol recyclingDemyelinating diseasesDihydroartemisininMicrogliaRemyelination

Identifiers

PMID40750890
PMCPMC12317512

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.