Dynamic interaction of oligodendrocyte precursor cells with other cell types in the central nervous system

Traditionally, oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) were primarily regarded for their differentiation potential to mature oligodendrocytes that ensheath central nervous system (CNS) axons through myelin formation. Recent breakthroughs in single-cell sequencing and in vivo imaging technologies have revolutionized our understanding, revealing that OPCs engage in extensive dynamic interactions with diverse CNS cell populations during neurodevelopment, tissue homeostasis maintenance, and pathological microenvironment remodeling. Notably, while OPCs exhibit relatively conserved phenotypic signatures, their functional plasticity within heterogeneous microenvironments demonstrates significant spatial specificity and disease-context dependence. In this review, we will systematically sort out the molecular interaction mechanism between OPCs and neurons, astrocytes, microglia, and vascular endothelial cells, deeply analyze their dynamic functional profiles, and focus on discussing: (1) the fine-tuning regulatory model of neuronal circuits mediated by OPCs at the developmental stage (2) the bidirectional regulatory mechanism of OPCs involved in maintaining the metabolic-immune balance under homeostasis; (3) OPC functional reprogramming in the pathological process of multiple sclerosis, cerebral ischemia, etc. This review aims to consolidate current evidence into a cohesive perspective on OPC multimodal functions, evaluate non-myelinating contributions, and discuss promising therapeutic targets for neural regenerative medicine.