Prog Retin Eye ResMay 20250 citations

Pericytes in the optic nerve head.

Waxman Susannah, Villafranca-Baughman Deborah, Phillippi Julie, Jakobs Tatjana C, Alarcon-Martinez Luis, Di Polo Adriana, Sigal Ian A

View on PubMed DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2025.101375

AI Summary

This review found pericytes exist in the optic nerve head across species, suggesting they are a promising, underexplored target for treating microvascular impairment in glaucoma.

Abstract

Pericytes are a unique population of contractile mural cells and are an essential part of the microvasculature. In the retina and brain, pericytes play crucial roles in regulating blood flow, maintaining the blood-brain barrier, signaling with neighboring cells, and depositing extracellular matrix. Pericyte dysfunction is an early process in a variety of neurodegenerative conditions. However, remarkably little is known about pericytes at an early site of neurodegeneration in glaucoma, the optic nerve head (ONH). This work summarizes the current understanding of pericyte contributions to ONH physiology, identifies potential roles in glaucomatous pathophysiology, and uncovers open questions at the intersection of these areas. We surveyed the literature to identify the roles of ONH pericytes in the context of health and glaucoma. Additionally, we probed for the presence of pericytes along microvasculature in mouse, nonhuman primate, and human donor ONH tissues. We identified an association between factors influencing ONH dysfunction in glaucoma and factors influencing pericyte dysfunction in other neurodegenerative conditions. Pericytes exist in the mouse, nonhuman primate, and human ONH, implicating their capacity for local function. ONH pericytes represent a promising but underexplored target for treating microvascular impairment in glaucoma. Investigating the contribution of pericytes in both healthy and disease states can help inform mechanisms of dysfunction in glaucomatous pathology, paving the way for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

MeSH Terms

PericytesHumansAnimalsOptic DiskGlaucomaMice

Shields Classification

Ch. 4Optic Nerve, Retina, and Choroid

Ch. 35Neuroprotection and Other Investigational Drugs

Key Concepts5

An association was identified between factors influencing optic nerve head (ONH) dysfunction in glaucoma and factors influencing pericyte dysfunction in other neurodegenerative conditions, based on a survey of literature.

MechanismReviewLiterature Reviewn=Not applicableCh5Ch12

Pericytes exist in the optic nerve head (ONH) of mouse, nonhuman primate, and human donor tissues, implicating their capacity for local function.

MechanismBasic ScienceTissue Analysisn=Mouse, nonhuman primate, and human do…Ch5

Optic nerve head (ONH) pericytes represent a promising but underexplored target for treating microvascular impairment in glaucoma.

TreatmentExpert Opinionn=Not applicableCh5

Pericytes are a unique population of contractile mural cells that are an essential part of the microvasculature and play crucial roles in regulating blood flow, maintaining the blood-brain barrier, signaling with neighboring cells, and depositing extracellular matrix in the retina and brain.

MechanismReviewLiterature Reviewn=Not applicableCh2Ch5

Pericyte dysfunction is an early process in a variety of neurodegenerative conditions, suggesting a potential role in glaucoma pathophysiology.