Central nervous system pericytes are perivascular cells that are closely associated with the endothelium of capillaries and other small vessels [1].  Pericytes, located near endothelial cells, communicate with other cells by extending long cytoplasmic processes which wrap around the capillaries [1, 2]. Pericytes participate in a variety of processes including angiogenesis, endothelial cell survival, regulation of capillary blood flow, and establishment and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier [3, 4]. Pericyte dysregulation has been linked to several pathological conditions such as hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and tumor angiogenesis [2, 4].  The unique and diverse functions of pericytes make them novel candidates for cell therapy in regenerative medicine. Leptomeningeal pericytes (LP) are derived from the leptomeningeal layer surrounding the brain. Cultured human leptomeningeal pericytes (HLP) are a useful in vitro model for studying a wide variety of central nervous system diseases.

HLP from ScienCell Research Laboratories are isolated from human brain. HLP are cryopreserved at passage one after purification and delivered frozen. Each vial contains >5 x 10^5 cells in 1 ml volume. HLP are characterized by immunofluorescence with antibody specific to a-smooth muscle actin and platelet derived growth factor-b (PDGF-b). HLP are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast, and fungi. HLP are guaranteed to further expand for 15 population doublings under the conditions provided by ScienCell Research Laboratories.

Recommended Medium:

It is recommended to use Pericyte Medium (PM, Cat. #1201) for culturing HLP in vitro.