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Brain pericyte plasticity as a potential drug target in CNS repair.

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Affiliations

  • 1. Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria.
      Authors
    • Lange S 1
    (1 author)

ORCIDs linked to this article

Drug Discovery Today, 22 Dec 2012, 18(9-10):456-463
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2012.12.007 PMID: 23266366 

Review

Abstract 

Brain pericytes (BrPCs) are essential cellular components of the central nervous system neurovascular unit involved in the regulation of blood flow, blood-brain barrier function, as well as in the stabilization of the vessel architecture. More recently, it became evident that BrPCs, besides their regulatory activities in brain vessel function and homeostasis, have pleiotropic functions in the adult CNS ranging from stromal and regeneration promoting activities to stem cell properties. This special characteristic confers BrPC cell plasticity, being able to display features of other cells within the organism. BrPCs might also be causally involved in certain brain diseases. Due to these properties BrPCs might be potential drug targets for future therapies of neurological disorders. This review summarizes BrPC properties, disorders in which this cell type might be involved, and provides suggestions for future therapeutic developments targeting BrPCs.

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Read article at publisher's site: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2012.12.007

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Funding 

Funders who supported this work.

European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) (2)

Paracelsus Medical University

    Wellcome Trust (1)