Brain Vascular Pericytes (BVP) are perivascular cells that are closely associated with the endothelium of capillaries and other small vessels. BVP, located between endothelial cells and astrocytes in the brain, communicate with other cells by extending long cytoplasmic processes which wrap around the capillaries. BVP participate in a variety of processes including angiogenesis, endothelial cell survival, regulation of capillary blood flow, and establishment and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier. Pericyte dysregulation has been linked to several pathological conditions such as hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and tumor angiogenesis. The unique and diverse functions of BVP make them novel candidates for cell therapy in regenerative medicine. Cultured primary rat BVP (RBVP) are a useful in vitro model for understanding the molecular mechanisms of blood-brain barrier regulation and for studying a wide variety of central nervous system diseases. RBVP from ScienCell Research Laboratories are isolated from adult CD® IGS rat brain. RBVP are cryopreserved at passage one and delivered frozen. Each vial contains >5 x 105 cells in 1 ml volume. RBVP are characterized by immunofluorescence with antibody specific to platelet-derived growth factor-β (PDGF receptor-β) and α-smooth muscle actin. RBVP are negative for mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast, and fungi. RBVP are guaranteed to further expand for 5 population doublings under the conditions provided by ScienCell Research Laboratories. Recommended Medium It is recommended to use Pericyte Medium (PM, Cat. #1201) for culturing RBVP in vitro.