title: Brain pericyte plasticity as a potential drug target in CNS repair.
abstract: Brain pericytes (BrPCs) are essential cellular components of the central nervous system neurovascular unit involved in the regulation of blood flow, blood-brain barrier function, as well as in the stabilization of the vessel architecture. More recently, it became evident that BrPCs, besides their regulatory activities in brain vessel function and homeostasis, have pleiotropic functions in the adult CNS ranging from stromal and regeneration promoting activities to stem cell properties. This special characteristic confers BrPC cell plasticity, being able to display features of other cells within the organism. BrPCs might also be causally involved in certain brain diseases. Due to these properties BrPCs might be potential drug targets for future therapies of neurological disorders. This review summarizes BrPC properties, disorders in which this cell type might be involved, and provides suggestions for future therapeutic developments targeting BrPCs.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trost
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tempfer
authors.forename: Hans-Christian
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Hannelore
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: Herbert A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Reitsamer
authors.forename: Robin J M
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: Ludwig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aigner
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Rivera
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology*; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D020286:Pericytes / Q000502:physiology*