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Pericyte Biology in Disease pp 137–146Cite as

The Role of Pericytes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1147))

Abstract

In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), motor neurons die selectively. Therefore, initial symptoms that include fasciculation, spasticity, muscle atrophy, and weakness emerge following axons retraction and consequent muscles’ denervation. Patients lose the ability to talk and swallow and rely on parenteral nutrition and assisted ventilation to survive. The degeneration caused by ALS is progressive and irreversible. In addition to the autonomous mechanism of neuronal cell death, non-autonomous mechanisms have been proved to be toxic for motor neurons, such as the activation of astrocytes and microglia. Among the cells being studied to unveil these toxic mechanisms are pericytes, cells that help keep the integrity of the blood–brain barrier and blood–spinal cord barrier. In this chapter, we aim to discuss the role of pericytes in ALS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Giuliana Castello Coatti

  2. Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Biosciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Natale Cavaçana & Mayana Zatz

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  1. Giuliana Castello Coatti
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  2. Natale Cavaçana
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  3. Mayana Zatz
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Correspondence to Mayana Zatz .

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  1. Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Alexander Birbrair

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Coatti, G.C., Cavaçana, N., Zatz, M. (2019). The Role of Pericytes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In: Birbrair, A. (eds) Pericyte Biology in Disease. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1147. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16908-4_6

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