Olig2

Oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2 (Olig2) is a member of the alkaline Helix-Loop-Helix family, mainly existing in oligodendrocytes and their precursor cells, which is involved in cell development and maturation. As a classic biomarker of oligodendrocytes, Olig2 is highly expressed in oligodendrogliomas, but its expression is lost or low in astrocytes, which makes it suitable for differential diagnosis. However, after expanding the clinical sample, it was found that Olig2 was expressed to varying degrees in both diffuse and non-diffuse gliomas, indicating its low specificity, so it is often used in combination with GFAP. Meanwhile, oncological research suggests that Olig2 can relieve the restriction of cell cycle inhibitory factors on the proliferation of glioma stem cells and promote the formation of gliomas, which is closely related to poor prognosis of patients. In addition, Olig2 can provide diagnostic evidence for some rare tumors such as gliosarcoma and small cell glioblastoma.