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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Isolation of Primary Murine Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells
08:14

Isolation of Primary Murine Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells

Published on: November 14, 2014

Brain perivascular macrophages regulate endothelial cell function via a cMAF-dependent transcriptional program in

Simone Brioschi1, Julia A Belk2, Steffen E Storck3

  • 1Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Center for Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Cell
|August 14, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Cellular musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene (cMAF) regulates brain perivascular macrophages and their communication with blood vessels. Targeting cMAF may offer new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Brain perivascular macrophages are crucial for brain health, but their regulatory mechanisms and functions are not fully understood.
  • Identifying key transcription factors is essential for understanding macrophage function in neurological and cerebrovascular diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify key transcription factors regulating brain perivascular macrophage function.
  • To investigate the role of cMAF in brain perivascular macrophage phenotype, function, and communication with vascular cells.
  • To explore the role of cMAF in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis and its therapeutic potential.

Main Methods:

  • Single-cell multi-omics analysis.
  • Conditional gene deletion in vivo experiments.
  • Functional assays assessing macrophage-endothelial cell communication and vascular function.
  • Analysis of human perivascular macrophages in health and AD, including APOE4 carriers.

Main Results:

  • Cellular musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene (cMAF) identified as a key transcription factor for brain perivascular macrophages.
  • cMAF deletion disrupts macrophage phenotype and impairs communication with endothelial cells via insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) expression.
  • cMAF is conserved in human perivascular macrophages and upregulated in AD, enhancing vascular communication, though this is impaired in APOE4 carriers.
  • A cMAF polymorphism suggests a protective role against AD.

Conclusions:

  • cMAF is a critical regulator of brain perivascular macrophage function and intercellular communication, impacting vascular health.
  • The cMAF-IGF1 pathway in perivascular macrophages plays a significant role in AD pathogenesis.
  • Targeting cMAF presents a potential therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases.
Keywords:
APOE4Alzheimer's diseaseIGF1arteriescMAFcerebral blood flowcerebrospinal fluidimmune-vascular axismicrogliaperivascular macrophages

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