Neurological Disorders

Research Advances in Pericyte-Related Functions and Diseases

Abstract

Bing Liang*, Haiying Xu, Xinyuan Du, Yushuang Cao, Lichen Guo, Linlin Su, Tong Zhang, Qing Yuan and Limin Hu

A pericyte is a wall cell enclosed in the vascular basement membrane, an essential component of blood vessels and the central nervous system. It is closely related to endothelial cells and has the roles of vascular remodeling, maintaining the stability of the blood-brain barrier, controlling cerebral blood flow, and protecting the central nervous system. More and more studies have begun to focus on the mechanism of pericytes in different diseases to provide therapeutic significance to the clinic. In this paper, we summarize the functional roles of pericytes from the origin and identification of pericytes, focusing on the part of pericytes in cancer, diabetic retinopathy, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.