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Pericytes in the disease spotlight

Hielke van Splunder1, Pilar Villacampa2, Anabel Martínez-Romero1

  • 1Endothelial Pathobiology and Microenviroment Group, Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC), 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Trends in Cell Biology
|July 20, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Pericytes, crucial mural cells, are vital for blood vessel health and disease. Recent single-cell studies are clarifying their complex roles and identities, advancing research in vascular and extravascular conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Vascular Biology
  • Cellular Biology
  • Pathobiology

Background:

  • Pericytes are mural cells integral to small vessel endothelium, essential for vasculature formation and homeostasis.
  • Dysfunctional pericytes are implicated in diseases like diabetic retinopathy and neurodegenerative conditions.
  • Emerging research highlights extravascular roles of pathological pericytes in cancer and fibrosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in understanding pericyte pathobiology.
  • To address challenges in pericyte identification and characterization.
  • To discuss future research directions based on new findings.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on pericyte biology and pathology.
  • Emphasis on the impact of single-cell technologies.
  • Analysis of molecular markers and cell identity criteria.

Main Results:

  • Single-cell approaches are improving the identification and functional understanding of pericytes across different organs.
  • Clarification of pericyte identity versus other mural cells is advancing.
  • New insights into pericyte contributions to both vascular and extravascular diseases are emerging.

Conclusions:

  • Advances in single-cell analysis are crucial for overcoming pericyte research challenges.
  • A clearer understanding of pericyte identity and function will drive progress in treating related diseases.
  • Future research should leverage these new methods to explore pericyte roles in health and disease.

Keywords:
fibrosispericrine signalingpericytevascular disease

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