Pericytes: Problems and Promises for CNS Repair.

Fabio Laredo,Julia Plebanski,Andrea Tedeschi

doi:10.3389/fncel.2019.00546

Abstract

Microvascular complications are often associated with slow and progressive damage of various organs. Pericytes are multi-functional mural cells of the microcirculation that control blood flow, vascular permeability and homeostasis. Whereas accumulating evidence suggests that these cells are also implicated in a variety of diseases, pericytes represent promising targets that can be manipulated for therapeutic gain. Here, we review the role of pericytes in angiogenesis, blood-brain barrier (BBB) function, neuroinflammation, tissue fibrosis, axon regeneration failure, and neurodegeneration. In addition, we outline strategies altering pericyte behavior to point out problems and promises for axon regeneration and central nervous system (CNS) repair following injury or disease.

Highlights

Lack of neurological recovery following central nervous system (CNS) trauma and disease is associated with long-term consequences that impair basic body functions including sensation, cognition, locomotion, vision, bladder and bowel movements, all of which negatively impact the independent quality of life
Another study has demonstrated that genetic ablation of PDGFRβ+ and Glast+ pericyte, known as type A, significantly reduces fibrotic scar formation and impairs wound closure after spinal cord injury (SCI) (Göritz et al, 2011), often leaving the lesion site unsealed
After being neglected for many years, pericytes have recently become the focus of an emerging field of research indicating that pericyte dysfunction plays a role in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases as well as tissue fibrosis and lack of motor recovery after SCI (Mizutani et al, 1996 ; Göritz et al, 2011; Li et al, 2017; Nation et al, 2019; Nortley et al, 2019)

Summary

Introduction

Lack of neurological recovery following central nervous system (CNS) trauma and disease is associated with long-term consequences that impair basic body functions including sensation, cognition, locomotion, vision, bladder and bowel movements, all of which negatively impact the independent quality of life. Endothelial cells secrete PDGF-BB that binds the PDGFRβ expressed on pericytes, stimulating pericyte proliferation and migration to the lesion site (Gaceb et al, 2018a).

Results

Conclusion