Physiological Insights Into the Role of Pericytes in Spinal Cord Injury

Overview

Journal J Cell Physiol

Specialties Cell Biology
Physiology

Date 2025 Jan 6

PMID 39757951

Authors

Haiming Jin

Jessica Rawlins

Yiqi Chen

Xiaohang Zheng

Oscar Charlesworth

Junchun Chen

Gang Wang

Huoling Luo

Wenxiang Cheng

Zhong Alan Li

Sipin Zhu

Jiake Xu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Vascular regeneration plays a vital role in tissue repair yet is drastically impaired in those with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Pericytes are of great significance as they are entwined with vessel-specific endothelial cells and actively contribute to maintaining the spinal cord's vascular network. Within the neurovascular unit (NVU), subtypes of pericytes characterized by various markers such as PDGFR-β, Desmin, CD146, and NG-2 are involved in vascular regeneration in SCI repair. Various pericyte signaling, pericyte-derived exosomes, and endothelial-pericyte interplay were revealed to participate in SCI repair or fibrotic scars. Through further understanding pericyte biology, it is aimed to accurately generate subtypes of pericytes and develop their therapeutic potential. This review focuses on recent advanced research and development of pericytes as a potential treatment for SCI.

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