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Emerging links between cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases-a special role for pericytes

Urban Lendahl1,2,3, Per Nilsson2, Christer Betsholtz3,4,5

  • 1Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

EMBO Reports
|October 17, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases share links, particularly involving pericytes crucial for brain blood flow and barrier function. Understanding these connections may lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for these debilitating conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Vascular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases cause significant suffering with limited treatment options.
  • An emerging understanding highlights interconnectedness between these two disease categories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of vascular dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases.
  • To examine the association between cerebrovascular diseases and central nervous system degeneration.
  • To focus on the role of pericytes in these disease mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of current research on neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases.
  • Analysis of the role of pericytes in blood-brain barrier function and cerebral blood flow.
  • Discussion of emerging molecular and cellular insights.

Main Results:

  • Vascular dysregulation is implicated in neurodegeneration.
  • Cerebrovascular diseases contribute to central nervous system degeneration and dysfunction.
  • Pericytes are identified as key players in maintaining brain vasculature and function.

Conclusions:

  • The link between neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases is increasingly recognized.
  • Pericytes and other vascular cells offer potential targets for novel diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
  • Further research into vascular mechanisms may unlock new treatment avenues.

Keywords:
blood-brain barriercerebrovascular diseaseneurodegenerative diseaseneurovascular unitpericyte

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