FAU lands NIH grant to study new cells that may help repair nerve damage

October 2nd 2026

Damage to myelin, the protective insulation surrounding nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves, can disrupt the efficient transmission of electrical signals and is a hallmark of numerous neurological disorders.

Yet scientists still don’t fully understand how myelin-forming cells interact at the boundary between the brain and spinal cord and the peripheral nerve – or whether healthy myelin-producing cells from one part of the nervous system could help repair damage in another.

Florida Atlantic University neuroscientist Laura Fontenas, Ph.D., has received a $448,664 grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate these questions and uncover the molecular mechanisms that control a newly identified population of myelin-producing cells. The project, titled “Molecular mechanisms underlying motor exit point glia function,” could provide new insights into how the nervous system responds to myelin loss and inform future strategies for repairing damaged nerves.

The nervous system has two interconnected parts: the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord; and the peripheral nervous system (PNS), which includes nerves throughout the body. Different glial cells produce myelin in each: oligodendrocytes in the CNS and Schwann cells in the PNS.

Recent research by Fontenas’ team in zebrafish identified a previously unknown type of glial cell called motor exit point (MEP) glia. These cells originate in the spinal cord but migrate into the PNS, where they produce myelin around motor nerves. Their unique characteristics suggest they may function across the CNS-PNS boundary.

The new NIH-funded project will investigate whether the CNS and PNS boundary is more biologically flexible than previously thought and whether myelin-producing glial cells can function beyond the region in which they normally reside.

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