Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), a unique population of glia in the primary olfactory nervous system, are derived from the olfactory placode in the peripheral nervous system; they can envelop olfactory axons during migration from the olfactory epithelium to the bulb in the central nervous system and are thought critical for growth of olfactory axons in both the developing and adult olfactory nervous system. Importantly, OECs are potential candidates for implantation therapy of damage to the central nervous system. The biological features of OECs are determined by the molecules they express: PDGF, NDY, S-100, Nestin, etc. Although p75NTR is commonly used to label OECs, up to now there have been no specific molecules for identifying OECs from Schwann cells and astrocytes. This paper reviews the cellular and molecular biological properties of OECs.