Premyelinating Oligodendrocyte Survival Governs CNS Remyelination

Myelinating oligodendrocytes are produced throughout life by the constitutive differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). However, the rate of oligodendrocyte generation changes with age and after a demyelinating injury. Here, we report that variation in premyelinating oligodendrocyte (preOL) survival modulates the rate of oligodendrocyte production. PreOL survival increased to drive the regeneration of oligodendrocytes after demyelination and decreased in middle-aged mice to contribute to age-related decline in oligodendrocyte production. Furthermore, we demonstrate that treatment with a GPR17 antagonist, Myro-02, increases oligodendrocyte replacement by promoting preOL survival after demyelination. Together, our findings demonstrate that increased survival of preOLs governs the regeneration of oligodendrocytes following demyelinating injury and suggest that modulating preOL survival may be an alternative therapeutic avenue to promote oligodendrocyte regeneration.