Targeting Perciytes for Angiogenic Therapies

Since pericytes clamp down on small capillaries in the immediate aftermath of a stroke and don't release. Your doctor should be able to use the knowledge gained here to fix one of the neuronal cascade of death problems.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/micc.12107/abstract

Abstract

In pathological scenarios, such as tumor growth and diabetic retinopathy, blocking angiogenesis would be beneficial. In others, such as myocardial infarction and hypertension, promoting angiogenesis might be desirable. Due to their putative influence on endothelial cells, vascular pericytes have become a topic of growing interest and are increasingly being evaluated as a potential target for angioregulatory therapies. For example, the strategy of manipulating pericyte recruitment to capillaries could result in anti- or pro-angiogenic effects. However, our current understanding of pericytes is limited by knowledge gaps regarding pericyte identity and lineage. To use a music analogy, this review is a “mash-up” that attempts to integrate what we know about pericyte functionality and expression with what is beginning to be elucidated regarding their regenerative potential. We explore the lingering questions regarding pericyte phenotypic identity and lineage. The expression of different pericyte markers (e.g., SMA, Desmin, NG2 and PDGFR-β) varies for different subpopulations and tissues. Previous use of these markers to identify pericytes has suggested potential phenotypic overlaps and plasticity toward other cell phenotypes. Our review chronicles the state of the literature, identifies critical unanswered questions, and motivates future research aimed at understanding this intriguing cell type and harnessing its therapeutic potential.