Oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) differentiation is an important therapeutic target to promote remyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS). We previously reported hyperphosphorylated and aggregated microtubuleâassociated protein tau in MS lesions, suggesting its involvement in axonal degeneration. However, the influence of pathological tauâinduced axonal damage on the potential for remyelination is unknown. Therefore, we investigated OPC differentiation in human P301S tau (P301Sâhtau) transgenic mice, both in vitro and in vivo following focal demyelination. In 2âmonthâold P301Sâhtau mice, which show hyperphosphorylated tau in neurons, we found atrophic axons in the spinal cord in the absence of prominent axonal degeneration. These signs of early axonal damage were associated with microgliosis and an upregulation of ILâ1ÎČ and TNFα. Following in vivo focal white matter demyelination we found that OPCs differentiated more efficiently in P301Sâhtau mice than wild type (Wt) mice. We also found an increased level of myelin basic protein within the lesions, which however did not translate into increased remyelination due to higher susceptibility of P301Sâhtau axons to demyelinationâinduced degeneration compared to Wt axons. In vitro experiments confirmed higher differentiation capacity of OPCs from P301Sâhtau mice compared with Wt miceâderived OPCs. Because the OPCs from P301Sâhtau mice do not ectopically express the transgene, and when isolated from newborn mice behave like Wt miceâderived OPCs, we infer that their enhanced differentiation capacity must have been acquired through microenvironmental priming. Our data suggest the intriguing concept that damaged axons may signal to OPCs and promote their differentiation in the attempt at rescue by remyelination. GLIA 2016;64:457â471