What is pericyte loss?
With the loss of pericytes, microaneurysms form in the capillaries. In response, the retina either increases its vascular permeability, leading to swelling of the eye through a macular edema, or forms new vessels that permeate into the vitreous membrane of the eye. The end result is reduction or loss of vision.
What can pericytes differentiate into?
Pericytes have been demonstrated to differentiate into various lineages, such as myofibers (52, 53), osteoblasts (53), adipocytes (54), and chondrocytes (53, 54), and this plasticity makes possible their clinical applications in the regeneration of various relevant tissues/organs.
What causes pericyte death?
Elevated glucose levels will cause apoptotic cell death of pericytes. This will lead to a more permeable blood vessels and subsequent endothelial cells which will increase leakiness of vessels even more.
What are pericytes in kidney?
Pericytes are contractile cells embedded within the basement membrane of capillaries, which possess elongated processes that encircle the endothelial wall (1). Renal pericytes are associated with glomeruli and cortical and medullary peritubular capillaries as well as with vasa recta.
What are cardiac pericytes?
Cardiac pericytes are abundantly found in the heart, but they are relatively understudied. Currently, their importance is emerging in cardiovascular homeostasis and dysfunction due to their pleiotropism. They are known to play key roles in vascular tone and vascular integrity as well as angiogenesis.
Can pericytes regenerate?
Recent studies demonstrate that pericytes are involved in skeletal muscle regeneration as described above (Crisan et al., 2008b; Dellavalle et al., 2011; Birbrair et al., 2013a). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the recruitment of pericytes in this complex process are unknown.
Where are pericytes derived from?
Abstract. Pericytes are believed to originate from either mesenchymal or neural crest cells. It has recently been reported that pericytes play important roles in the central nervous system (CNS) by regulating blood-brain barrier homeostasis and blood flow at the capillary level.
Are pericytes undifferentiated?
Pericytes are relatively undifferentiated connective tissue cells associated with small blood vessel walls. Their cross-talk with other cells promotes tissue survival [74]. They are similar to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and can be obtained from several organs [75].
Are pericytes mesenchymal stem cells?
Pericytes are widely believed to function as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) -multipotent tissue-resident progenitors with great potential for regenerative medicine. Cultured pericytes isolated from distinct tissues can differentiate into multiple cell types in vitro, or following transplantation in vivo.
What influence does the pericyte have on capillaries?
Pericytes also have contractile fibers. Contraction of these fibers constricts blood flow through the capillaries and can lead to increased BBB permeability.
Do pericytes regenerate?
Even with the relatively new field exploring pericytes as a regenerative cell source, there have been various in vitro and in vivo studies showing the benefits of tissue engineered cell delivery 12, 118, 129, 130.
What is the purpose function of pericytes?
Pericytes are cells present at intervals along the walls of capillaries (and post-capillary venules). In the CNS, they are important for blood vessel formation, maintenance of the blood–brain barrier, regulation of immune cell entry to the central nervous system (CNS) and control of brain blood flow.