Grant: Project Grant

Blood vessels are essential to sustain life in humans. Defects in blood vessels can result in serious consequences, such as hemorrhage, tissue ischemia, and stroke. The conventional view is that interactions between endothelial cells, the inner layer of the blood vessel, and surrounding vessel support cells known as mural cells help keep the blood vessel as a stable tube. However, it is not clear whether other types of cells also contribute to maintain vessel stability. Here, we utilize zebrafish, a small tropical fish, as a model to study a new population of blood vessel associated cells termed perivascular fibroblasts. Loss of these cells result in fragile vessels prone to damage. We will determine where these perivascular fibroblasts come from during embryo development and how they help stabilize blood vessels. Since the organization of the vasculature and underlying genetic mechanisms are remarkably similar between zebrafish and human, our work in zebrafish may provide insights on how to treat patients with fragile blood vessels.