Abstract
Pericytes are a very important cellular constituent of the blood-brain barrier. They play a regulatory role in brain angiogenesis, endothelial cell tight junction formation, blood-brain barrier differentiation, as well as contribute to the microvascular vasodynamic capacity and structural stability. Central nervous system pericytes express macrophage functions and are actively involved in the neuroimmune network operating at the blood- brain barrier. They exhibit unique functional characteristics critical for the pathogenesis of a number of cerebrovascular, neurodegenerative, and neuroimmune diseases.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 637-644 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Neuroscience Research |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 15 1998 |
Keywords
- Angiogenesis
- Blood-brain barrier
- Central nervous system
- Endothelial cells
- Macrophage
- Microvasculature
- Pericyte
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience