E-Mail IMAGE: The image depicts myelin (Cyan) and specialised brain stem cells Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells (OPCs) in the grey and white matter of the brain. Myelin is an insulation produced by cells... view more Credit: Dr Andrea Rivera A new study led by the University of Portsmouth has identified that one of the major factors of age-related brain deterioration is the loss of a substance called myelin. Myelin acts like the protective and insulating plastic casing around the electrical wires of the brain - called axons. Myelin is essential for superfast communication between nerve cells that lie behind the supercomputer power of the human brain.