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Pericytes are essential components of capillaries in many tissues and organs, contributing to vessel stability and integrity, with additional contributions to microvascular function still being discovered. We review current and foundational studies identifying pericyte differentiation mechanics and their roles in the earliest stages of vessel formation. Recent advances in pericyte-focused tools and models have illuminated critical aspects of pericyte biology including their roles in vascular development. Pericytes likely collaborate with endothelial cells undergoing vasculogenesis, initiating direct interactions during sprouting and intussusceptive angiogenesis. Pericytes also provide important regulation of vascular growth including mechanisms underlying vessel pruning, rarefaction, and subsequent regrowth. A phenotypic transition likely occurs as pericytes shift from roles in vascular development to supporting vessel maturation, homeostasis, and physiology. We provide a forward-looking perspective on pericyte-focused studies of vascular development and applications aimed at basic and clinically relevant insights into pericyte biology. |
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