Novel roles of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in the developing and damaged brain

Recent research advances have been gradually revealing that oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPC) have more diverse and crucial roles in the brain than previously recognized, actively participating in the control of brain homeostasis. OPC are uniformly distributed in both gray and white matter, showing robust proliferative and migratory potential with constant surveillance capacity in the adult brain. In addition to the well‐known role of a reservoir for mature oligodendrocytes, which form myelin sheaths and promote saltatory nerve conduction, OPC have been shown to regulate neuronal, glial and vascular systems in a direct and reciprocal fashion. Although the exact functions of “reactive” OPC after central nervous system injury remain poorly defined, they could have dual opposing “detrimental” and “beneficial” effects, responding to various types of injury in different locations. The developmental processes that regulate oligodendrogenesis are partly reproduced after the damage of oligodendrocytes, providing some insights for understanding the regenerative responses of OPC after injury. However, OPC might also acquire new properties under pathological conditions. In the present mini‐review, I will try to introduce novel roles of OPC in the developing and damaged brain, focusing on the reciprocal crosstalk between OPC and vascular cells, as well as neurons.