TY - JOUR
T1 - Targeting Pericyte Differentiation as a Strategy to Modulate Kidney Fibrosis in Diabetic Nephropathy
AU - Humphreys, Benjamin D.
PY - 2012/9
Y1 - 2012/9
N2 - Pericytes are a heterogeneous group of extensively branched cells located in microvessels where they make focal contacts with endothelium. Pericytes stabilize blood vessels, regulate vascular tone, synthesize matrix, participate in repair, and serve as progenitor cells, among other functions. Recent work has highlighted the role of pericytes and pericyte-like cells in fibrosis, in which chronic injury triggers pericyte proliferation and differentiation into collagen-secretory, contractile myofibroblasts with migration away from vessels, causing microvascular rarefaction. In this review the developmental origins of kidney pericytes and perivascular fibroblasts are summarized, pericyte to myofibroblast transition in type I diabetic nephropathy is discussed, and the regulation of pericyte differentiation into myofibroblasts as a therapeutic target for treatment of diabetic nephropathy is described.
AB - Pericytes are a heterogeneous group of extensively branched cells located in microvessels where they make focal contacts with endothelium. Pericytes stabilize blood vessels, regulate vascular tone, synthesize matrix, participate in repair, and serve as progenitor cells, among other functions. Recent work has highlighted the role of pericytes and pericyte-like cells in fibrosis, in which chronic injury triggers pericyte proliferation and differentiation into collagen-secretory, contractile myofibroblasts with migration away from vessels, causing microvascular rarefaction. In this review the developmental origins of kidney pericytes and perivascular fibroblasts are summarized, pericyte to myofibroblast transition in type I diabetic nephropathy is discussed, and the regulation of pericyte differentiation into myofibroblasts as a therapeutic target for treatment of diabetic nephropathy is described.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84867382214&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2012.07.009
DO - 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2012.07.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 23062987
AN - SCOPUS:84867382214
SN - 0270-9295
VL - 32
SP - 463
EP - 470
JO - Seminars in Nephrology
JF - Seminars in Nephrology
IS - 5
ER -