International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Pericytes in Microvessels: From “Mural” Function to Brain and Retina Regeneration 1, 2, 2 3 Nunzia Caporarello y, Floriana D’Angeli y, Maria Teresa Cambria , Saverio Candido , Cesarina Giallongo 4, Mario Salmeri 5, Cinzia Lombardo 5, Anna Longo 2, Giovanni Giurdanella 2, Carmelina Daniela Anfuso 2,* and Gabriella Lupo 2,* 1 Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
[email protected] 2 Section of Medical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; fl
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[email protected] (C.D.A.); Tel.: +39-095-4781158 (G.L.); +39-095-4781170 (C.D.A.) These authors contributed equally to this work. y Received: 31 October 2019; Accepted: 14 December 2019; Published: 17 December 2019 Abstract: Pericytes are branched cells located in the wall of capillary blood vessels that are found throughout the body, embedded within the microvascular basement membrane and wrapping endothelial cells, with which they establish a strong physical contact.