Gliogenesis in the mammalian cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex contains functionally distinct neuronal and glial cell types. Neurogenesis precedes gliogenesis, but the mechanisms that operate in progenitors, how the production of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes is regulated, and region-specific differences in this process are incompletely understood. Recent evidence has uncovered the presence of glial fate-restricted progenitors that arise not only after neurogenesis, but also during the neurogenic period alongside multipotent progenitors. Here, we will review recent studies in the mouse and human that extend our understanding of gliogenesis in the cerebral cortex and touch upon potential therapeutic applications of basic research in this field.