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Published on: May 12, 2014
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Cultured pericytes from human brain show phenotypic and functional differences associated with differential CD90
Thomas I-H Park1,2, Vaughan Feisst3, Anna E S Brooks3
1Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Scientific Reports
|May 25, 2016
Summary
Researchers identified two distinct pericyte populations in the human brain using CD90 expression. These CD90 subtypes show different functions in neurovascular regulation, inflammation, and scar formation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- The human brain is highly vascularized, with the blood-brain barrier (BBB) controlling molecular entry.
- Pericytes are crucial BBB cells regulating vascular integrity, neuroinflammation, angiogenesis, and repair.
- Distinguishing pericytes from other perivascular cells and understanding their specific roles is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize distinct pericyte populations within the adult human brain.
- To investigate the functional differences between pericyte subtypes based on CD90 expression.
Main Methods:
- Primary adult human brain cell cultures were utilized.
- Fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS) was employed to isolate cell populations.
- CD90 expression levels were used to differentiate pericyte subtypes.
Main Results:
- Two CD73(+)CD45(-) mesenchymal populations with high and low CD90 expression were identified.
- In the human brain, CD90 immunostaining localized to the neurovasculature, often associated with pericytes.
- CD90(+) pericytes showed higher proliferation, lower expression of αSMA and CD140b, reduced extracellular matrix production, and diminished pro-inflammatory responses compared to CD90(-) pericytes.
Conclusions:
- CD90 serves as a marker to distinguish two functionally distinct pericyte populations in the adult human brain.
- These pericyte subtypes likely play unique roles in neurovascular function, immune responses, and scar formation.
