Brain Vascular Pericytes (BVP)

Pericytes are embedded within basal lamina and play multiple roles in the perivascular niche in brain. Brain vascular pericytes (BVP) are contractile cells that wrap around the endothelial cells of capillaries and venules throughout the body. BVP plays a crucial role in the formation and functionality of the selectively permeable space between the circulatory system and central nervous system. This space is known as the blood–brain barrier. This barrier is composed of endothelial cells and assures the protection and functionality of the brain and central nervous system (CNS). Congenital human cytomegaloviruslytic infection of primary human brain pericytes suggests that pericytes contribute to both virus dissemination in the CNS as well as neuroinflammation.