The Complex and Integral Roles of Pericytes Within the Neurovascular Unit in Health and Disease

Introduction Pericytes are multifunctional and heterogeneous cells that are embedded within the basement membrane of capillaries. Alongside other mural cells, pericytes help develop, stabilize and maintain the cerebral vasculature. Pericytes also form one part of a group of cells called the neurovascular unit (NVU). Pericytes interact closely with neighboring NVU cells including endothelial cells that line capillaries and astrocyte endfeet that ensheathe cerebral blood vessels. These interactions control many of the functions of pericytes. In this chapter, I detail the complex and novel roles of pericytes at the NVU in the healthy and diseased brain. In particular, I discuss the functions and signaling mechanisms of pericytes at the NVU and how these become dysfunctional in neurological disease.