title: Vascularisation of the central nervous system.
abstract: The developing central nervous system (CNS) is vascularised through the angiogenic invasion of blood vessels from a perineural vascular plexus, followed by continued sprouting and remodelling until a hierarchical vascular network is formed. Remarkably, vascularisation occurs without perturbing the intricate architecture of the neurogenic niches or the emerging neural networks. We discuss the mouse hindbrain, forebrain and retina as widely used models to study developmental angiogenesis in the mammalian CNS and provide an overview of key cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the vascularisation of these organs.
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK.
authors.forename: Mathew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tata
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK. Electronic address: c.ruhrberg@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Christiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruhrberg
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK. Electronic address: a.fantin@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fantin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: GPCR; Neuropilin; Semaphorin; VEGF; WNT