Astrocytes and mural cells in the retina: Normal development and pathophysiology

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The blood vessels that supply the nerve cells of the brain and retina are associated with support cells known as mural cells and astrocytes. Whereas astrocytes both ensure that the vessels do not leak and produce factors that induce vessel growth, mural cells control blood flow and are thought to promote vessel stability. We aim to characterise the development of astrocytes and mural cells as well as the interactions of these cells with blood vessels that influence vessel shape, growth, and loss. Aging is associated with changes in the vasculature of the central nervous system that confer a predisposition to certain conditions, such as dementia, caused by abnormal blood supply and consequent nerve cell death. We plan to investigate the contribution of astrocytes and mural cells to the vascular changes that accompany aging. These studies may lead to the development of interventions to prevent such changes and their associated pathologies. Finally, astrocyte degeneration is implicated in various neuropathological conditions, including dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and trauma. We aim to purify and characterise a population of astrocyte precursor cells whose transplantation might result in the repopulation of damaged regions of the central nervous system.