A PROLIFERATIVE ADULT HUMAN OLIGODENDROCYTE PROGENITOR

THE failure of oligodendrocytes to sustain repair of demyelinated axon s contributes to the cumulative neurological disability which characte rizes multiple sclerosis. In the rodent, transplanted neonatal glial p rogenitors efficiently remyelinate gliotoxic Lesions. Proliferative bi potential progenitors are also present in the adult rat, but have not hitherto been identified in adult human tissue. Here we demonstrate ce lls in cultures of adult human temporal lobe which are morphologically and immunocytochemically identical to rat progenitors, are bipotentia l, and exhibit an astrocyte-driven proliferative response. The identif ication of an adult human oligodendrocyte progenitor is the first step towards developing interventional strategies for promoting repair of demyelinated lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis.