About this Research Topic
Blood vessels are surrounded by mural cells (smooth muscle cells or pericytes) and perivascular/ adventitial fibroblasts. These cells are key components of blood vessels and play integral roles in development, maintenance, aging and disease of the vasculature. Recently, it has become increasingly recognized that there is a diversity of mural cells within a vascular bed or organ as well as between different organs, which contributes to homeostasis as well as pathogenesis. For instance, select progenitor smooth muscle cells expand and give rise to cells of diverse fates, some considered protective and others deleterious in specific diseases. Additionally, vascular mural cells have bi-directional interactions with other cell types located in blood vessels and non-vascular tissues as well as hematopoietic cells.
In this Research Topic, by including an array of manuscripts, we aim to bring to light the diversity of vascular mural cells and their multi-faceted functions. During development, pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells play key roles in morphogenesis of vascular structures. From the early postnatal period and into early adulthood, vascular mural cells help stabilize the mature vasculature. The role of vascular mural cells in aging is an understudied but important area. Finally, pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells are integral in pathogenesis of disease. The Research Topic will cover many of the aspects of vascular mural cell biology that are integral in these processes.
This Research Topic is led by an international team with expertise in various facets of vascular mural cell biology. We aim to provide the readership with a state-of-the-art overview of the most recent discoveries, analysis of previously published data, opinions and perspectives and methods and protocols. All article formats acceptable by the Frontiers journal are welcome and will be given full consideration, and all manuscripts within the scope of vascular mural cell biology are encouraged. Specific themes of this Research Topic include, but are certainly not limited to, the following:
- pericytes in brain development and disease
- regulation of gene expression of vascular mural cells
- vascular mural cell progenitors in development and disease
- bi-directional interactions of vascular mural cells with non-vascular cells, including hematopoietic cells
- heterogeneity of vascular mural cells
In this Research Topic, by including an array of manuscripts, we aim to bring to light the diversity of vascular mural cells and their multi-faceted functions. During development, pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells play key roles in morphogenesis of vascular structures. From the early postnatal period and into early adulthood, vascular mural cells help stabilize the mature vasculature. The role of vascular mural cells in aging is an understudied but important area. Finally, pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells are integral in pathogenesis of disease. The Research Topic will cover many of the aspects of vascular mural cell biology that are integral in these processes.
This Research Topic is led by an international team with expertise in various facets of vascular mural cell biology. We aim to provide the readership with a state-of-the-art overview of the most recent discoveries, analysis of previously published data, opinions and perspectives and methods and protocols. All article formats acceptable by the Frontiers journal are welcome and will be given full consideration, and all manuscripts within the scope of vascular mural cell biology are encouraged. Specific themes of this Research Topic include, but are certainly not limited to, the following:
- pericytes in brain development and disease
- regulation of gene expression of vascular mural cells
- vascular mural cell progenitors in development and disease
- bi-directional interactions of vascular mural cells with non-vascular cells, including hematopoietic cells
- heterogeneity of vascular mural cells
Keywords: Smooth muscle cells, pericytes, vascular development, atherosclerosis, brain hemorrhage, stroke, pulmonary hypertension, fibroblasts, adventitia
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
