Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cell (OPC) Assay

Relying on oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) to promote remyelination offers promising prospects for the treatment of various diseases. As an expert in the field of neuroscience, Creative Biolabs provides professional OPC assay services to help global customers speed up the development of projects.

Overview of OPCs

OPC, also known as NG2-glia, is an abundant cell type in the adult central nervous system (CNS). OPCs are uniformly distributed in both gray and white matter. During CNS myelin development, OPCs proliferate and migrate to their final destination to exert their functions. Unlike some other progenitor cell populations, OPCs exist all through life. Furthermore, OPCs can regenerate oligodendrocytes (OLs) and myelin, and differentiate into mature myelinating OLs, which are closely related to the normal function of the CNS. It is worth noting that the OPC has many other functions besides serving as the ancestor of the OL. More importantly, OPCs are closely related to a variety of diseases.

Fig.1 Functions of OLs in the adult CNS. (Raffaele, et al., 2021)

The Crucial Roles of OPC Assays

Indeed, OPCs are involved in the regulation of the metabolic environment and function. In recent years, a large number of tools and methods have emerged to characterize the biology and function of OPCs, ranging from functional gene studies to single-cell sequencing. Many approaches contribute to a deeper understanding of OPCs, which in turn shed light on the pathogenesis and potential therapeutic strategies of many diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and glioma. Furthermore, OPCs are involved in the formation of gliomas, as they represent potential cell types from which these tumors originate. Therefore, OPC assays play a vital role in both disease mechanism research and drug discovery.

OPC Assay Services at Creative Biolabs

• OPC differentiation assay

Creative Biolabs offers cost-effective OLs differentiation services. With our optimized protocols, our professional team can differentiate healthy, diseased, or genetically modified induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells into high-quality precursor OPCs and mature OPCs. Furthermore, Creative Biolabs is confident to provide additional characterization services, and our experts can even help you develop any downstream analysis you may need to advance your project.

• OPC migration assay

OPC migration is closely linked to impaired myelin remodeling in MS. Therefore, studying the migratory function of OPCs provides an attractive tool for developing new therapeutic strategies to promote myelin repair. We provide customized new OPC migration assays to our global customers.

• Drug screening

At Creative Biolabs, our dedicated scientists are focused on delivering OP-dependent drug screening services. By evaluating the effects of drug candidates on OPC proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, we are confident in further identifying target drug molecules, which will provide a solid foundation for your follow-up research.

Fig.2 Flow scheme of OPCs-based high throughput drug screening assay. (Rosler, et al., 2016)

Promoting the differentiation and maturation of OPCs into OLs to repair myelin degeneration is an attractive strategy for multiple neurological diseases. After years of accumulation, Creative Biolabs has built a best-in-class platform and experienced team to provide customized OPC assay services to accelerate the progress of your project. Please contact us in time for more details.

References

1. Raffaele, S.; et al. Oligodendrocyte dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: mechanisms and therapeutic perspectives. Cells. 2021, 10(3): 565.
2. Afshari, F.T.; Fawcett, J.W. An in vitro assay to examine oligodendrocyte precursor cell migration on astrocytes. Astrocytes. 2012, 393-399.
3. Rosler, E.S.; et al. Development of a high throughput drug screening assay to identify compounds that protect oligodendrocyte viability and differentiation under inflammatory conditions. BMC research notes. 2016, 9(1): 1-12.