Oligodendrocyte precursor cells in the substantia nigra: Implications for Parkinson's disease

Oligodendroglial cells comprise a large cell population in the substantia nigra (SN). We recently reported a stable portion of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) in the SN pars compacta (SNpc) in a 1:1 ratio with dopaminergic neurons: 15% of cells in neonate and young mice, rising to 20% in aged mice. Moreover, this portion represents only 45% of all oligodendroglial cells in the SNpc and 54% of all oligodendroglial cells in the SN pars reticulata (SNpr) (Fitzgerald et al., 2025). The SN is a deeply located area of the midbrain and the site of dopaminergic degeneration in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Recent advancement of single-cell transcriptomics revealed the involvement of non-neuronal cells in PD, with PD risk variants being strongly associated with oligodendroglia (reviewed by Salazar Campos et al., 2025).

The article is accessible on the following DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-25-00767