The role of pericyte in ocular vascular diseases

Abstract

Pericytes are located in the stromal membrane of the capillary outer wall and contain endothelial cells. They are pivotal in regulating blood flow, enhancing vascular stability, and maintaining the integrity of the blood-retina barrier/blood-brain barrier. The pluripotency of pericytes allows them to differentiate into various cell types, highlighting their significance in vascular disease pathogenesis, as demonstrated by previous studies. This capability enables pericytes to be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and a target for the treatment of vascular disorders. The retina, an essential part of the eyeball, is an extension of cerebral tissue with a transparent refractive medium. It offers a unique window for assessing systemic microvascular lesions. Routine fundus examination is necessary for patients with diabetes and hypertension. Manifestations, such as retinal artery tortuosity, dilation, stenosis, and abnormal arteriovenous anastomosis, serve as typical hallmarks of retinal vasculopathy. Therefore, studies of ocular vascular diseases significantly facilitate the exploration of systemic vascular diseases.

Keywords

pericyte / vascular stability / vascular diseases / diabetic retinopathy / choroidal neovascularization

Fundings

This work was generously supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 82070983) and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. BK20211020), as well as grants from the Medical Science and Technology Development Project Fund of Nanjing (Grant No. YKK22263).

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the colleagues for their helpful comments on this paper.

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