Skip to main content

Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells

Meaning

Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells (OPCs), also referred to as NG2-glia, constitute a dynamic and highly proliferative population of resident glial cells distributed throughout the central nervous system (CNS) in both the developing and adult brain. Their primary, canonical function is to serve as the progenitor pool for mature oligodendrocytes, which are the cells responsible for synthesizing the insulating myelin sheath around axons. Beyond this role, they are increasingly recognized as active, dynamic participants in synaptic plasticity, neuronal signaling, and the complex process of neuroinflammation.