New research suggests that pericytes are the primary cell type involved in CNS scar formation

7/8/2011 9:21:00 AM

A significant source of neurological disability following spinal cord injury is the formation of scar tissue that prevents healing of the injured nerve tissue. For decades, physicians have thought glial cells to be the primary culprit in the development of scar tissue. Recently published findings of Jonas Firesen and colleagues, however, have turned the traditional view on its head. The research has suggested that pericytes are the primary cell-type involved in nervous tissue scar formation, while glial cells play a relatively modest role.

This research is potentially a huge breakthrough in our understanding about the mechanisms of scar tissue formation following CNS injury. This study suggests directions for future work to better understand the biological mechanisms underlying the pericyte-based scar formation, and potentially paves the road to new opportunities for treating spinal cord injury patients.

For more information: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/333/6039/238.figures-only