The authors provide a comprehensive review of the current understanding of pericytes in the optic nerve head (ONH). Key points include: (1) Pericytes are contractile mural cells that play crucial roles in regulating blood flow, maintaining the blood-brain / blood-retinal barrier, and depositing extracellular matrix in the brain and retina; (2) Pericytes have been identified in the mouse, non-human primate, and human ONH, suggesting they may have important local functions in this region; (3) Pericytes in the ONH may contribute to the vascular dysfunction and extracellular matrix remodelling observed in glaucoma; (4) Investigating pericyte roles in ONH physiology and pathology could inform the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting microvascular impairment in glaucoma.
Understanding optic nerve head pericytes and glaucoma
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