Searching for oligodendrocyte precursors for cell replacement therapies

Inherited or acquired oligodendrocyte deficiency or abnormalities usually lead to severe neurological disorders, common in humans and animals. The wide spectrum of diseases to be treated, their frequency and lack of effective treatments result in an urgent need to elaborate alternative options such as cell replacement therapies. Elaborating the protocols for the efficient oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) generation for neurorestrative purposes still meets the essential obstacles. Searching for the most convenient, accessible and rich sources of stem-like cells is the first of them. The immunological barrier is another problem, which could however be solved by usage of either the allo- or the autografts and the pure, xeno-free compounds for the cell propagation. The third criterion is the efficiency of the progenitor derivation, proliferation and purification. The effective cellular replacement experiments carried on animal models of congenital and acquired neurodegenerative disease approached their translation into clinical practice. Notwithstanding due to urgent need for treatment of a broad spectrum of traumas and neurodegenerative disorders accompanied by hypo/demyelination, different cell sources and alternative strategies should necessarily be tested to expand the treatment options.