A human cell type similar to murine central nervous system perivascular fibroblasts

The brain vasculature has several specific features, one of them being the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which supports and protects the brain by allowing for the passage of oxygen and nutrients, while at the same time preventing passage of pathogens and toxins. The BBB also prevents efficient delivery of drugs to the brain, e.g. for treatment of brain tumors. In the murine brain, perivascular fibroblasts were recently identified as a novel potential constituent of the BBB. Here we present the existence of human cells that could be the equivalent to the murine brain perivascular fibroblasts. Using RNA sequencing, we show a similar transcriptomic profile of cultured human brain cells and murine perivascular fibroblasts. These data open up a window for new hypotheses on cell types involved in human CNS diseases.

Automated summary

The brain vasculature features a blood-brain barrier (BBB) that protects the brain from pathogens and toxins. Recent identification of human cells that may be equivalent to murine brain perivascular fibroblasts, with a similar transcriptomic profile, opens up new possibilities for studying human CNS diseases.