PERICYTES ARE MORE THAN MSCS: A COMPARISON OF THREE CELL POPULATIONS

Abstract

Pericytes are cells located within the basement membrane of small blood vessels. They play an essential role in angiogenesis and vessel maturation. Recently it has been proposed that pericytes are mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) residing in a perivascular niche. In this study, we further hypothesized that pericytes possess additional angiogenic functions that conventional MSCs cannot substitute for. Therefore we compared pericytes, MSCs and fibroblasts (negative control) in terms of marker expression and functional behavior in vitro. All cell types shared an MSC-related marker profile, but only pericytes and MSCs were capable to differentiate into both adipocytes and osteoblasts, indicating multipotency. Next, the three cell types were then analyzed for pericytic features. Only pericytes expressed angiogenesis-related markers NG2, desmin and Tie2, and enhanced endothelial cell-formed networks on matrigel. These findings suggested that pericytes are truly MSC-like cells with additional role in angiogenesis distinct from that of MSCs.