Overview
- In live-mouse studies, oligodendrocyte precursor cells attempted differentiation at a constant rate across all brain regions, including areas without myelination.
- The team identified dandelion clock–like structures in the extracellular matrix (DACS) around differentiating OPCs, providing a conserved marker to track these events across species.
- Most OPCs that initiate this program did not mature into oligodendrocytes, underscoring striking inefficiency in the process.
- Following experimental loss of oligodendrocytes and myelin, the differentiation rate held steady while a larger share of differentiating cells survived and integrated to restore myelin.
- The authors propose remyelination therapies should boost survival and integration or harness developmental programs, with the work published Jan. 22, 2026 in Science.