Pericyte-deficient mouse models ( which lack genes encoding steps in the PDGFB : PDGFRB signalling cascade ) and have an Alzheimer's-causing mutation have exacerbated Alzheimer's-like pathology compared to mice with normal pericyte coverage and an Alzheimer's-causing mutation.
22.
An experimental study suggests that the pericyte death is caused when by blood glucose persistently activating protein kinase C and mitogen-activated protein kinase ( MAPK ), which through a series of intermediates inhibits signaling through platelet-derived growth factor receptors signaling that supports cellular survival, proliferation, and growth.
23.
Dr . Arnold Kaplan, a founder of Osiris Therapeutics and one of the first scientists to isolate the stem cells found in bone marrow, said he was not familiar with Bhatnagar's work but speculated that the professor was unknowingly experimenting with another type of stem cell, called a pericyte, which also inhabits blood-rich tissues like skin and gums.
