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Biological characteristics and functions of NG2-glia

LIU Hong¹, YUAN Yi-Min¹, QIN Shang-Yao¹, LIU Tao², SU Zhi-Da^1,*

¹Department of Neurobiology and Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology of Ministry of Education, Navy Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China；²Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China

Abstract

NG2-glia are a major type of glial cells that are widely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS). Under physiological conditions, they mainly differentiate into oligodendrocytes and contribute to the myelination of axons, so they are generally called oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Emerging evidence suggests that NG2-glia not only act as the precursors of oligodendrocytes but also possess many other biological properties and functions. For example, NG2-glia can form synapse with neurons and participate in energy metabolism and immune regulation. Under pathological conditions, NG2-glia can also differentiate into astrocytes, Schwann cells and even neurons, which are involved in CNS injury and repair. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the biological characteristics and functions of NG2-glia under physiological and pathological conditions will be helpful for the treatment of CNS injury and disease. This article reviews the recent advances in the biological characteristics and functions of NG2-glia.

Key words: NG2-glia; biological characteristics; functions; CNS injury and disease; therapeutic application

Received: 2020-11-25　　Accepted: 2021-02-26

Corresponding author: 苏志达　　E-mail: suzhida@smmu.edu.cn

Citing This Article：

LIU Hong, YUAN Yi-Min, QIN Shang-Yao, LIU Tao, SU Zhi-Da. Biological characteristics and functions of NG2-glia. Acta Physiol Sin 2021; 73 (6): 940-952 (in Chinese with English abstract).