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Assessment of Pericyte Phenotype by Flow Cytometry
Nusrat S Khan1,2, Christopher C West3,4,5, Fiona Rossi3
1BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Insights
Researchers developed a new method to isolate human pericytes from various organs using flow cytometry. This prospective purification technique advances the clinical application of these important mural cells.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Vascular Biology
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Pericytes are mural cells integral to microvessel function.
- They serve as precursors for mesenchymal stem/stromal cells.
- Previous characterization relied on retrospective culture methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a protocol for prospective pericyte isolation.
- To enable characterization of pericytes from diverse human organs.
- To facilitate future clinical applications of pericytes.
Main Methods:
- Development of a protocol for pericyte isolation.
- Utilizing flow cytometry for cell analysis.
- Employing fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) for purification.
Main Results:
- Successful isolation and characterization of pericytes from multiple human organs.
- Prospective purification method established.
- Demonstrated feasibility of FACS for pericyte isolation.
Conclusions:
- The developed protocol enables prospective isolation of human pericytes.
- This advancement is crucial for understanding pericyte biology.
- Facilitates the development of pericyte-based clinical strategies.
Abstract:
Pericytes are mural cells closely associated with endothelial cells in capillaries and microvessels. They are precursors of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells that have historically been retrospectively characterized in culture. We established a protocol, described in this chapter, to characterize and isolate pericytes from multiple human organs by flow cytometry and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. This prospective purification of pericytes brings us a step forward in the development of strategies for their use in the clinic.
