Pericyte signaling in the neurovascular unit.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 19064799.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1161/STROKEAHA.108.533117 and PMC identifier 2724312.
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Abstract
Brain pericytes are intimately associated with capillary endothelial cells, separated only by basement membrane. Pericyte research has been hampered by absence of pericyte-specific immunochemical markers. The vast array of pericyte functions include contractility, immunologic, migratory, and angiogenic. Pericytes have stem cell potential, contribute to the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, and have a regulatory role for hemostasis in the brain. Improvement in pericyte identification is likely to lead to marked increase in appreciation of the role of pericytes in the neurovascular unit.
Medical subject headings
- Astrocytes
- Endothelium, Vascular
- Pericytes
- Signal Transduction