Figure 4.

Pericyte responses upon NVU remodeling in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In AD, the neurodegenerative cascade has been shown to be initiated by NVU remodeling that triggers its loss of function, leading to the accumulation of blood-borne molecules into the brain. This loss of function is translated by (a) rCBF dysfunction; (b) astrocyte-endfeet detachment; (c) pericyte detachment and migration; (d) microglia activation and (e) pericyte loss. Targeting NVU remodeling in order to repair, stabilize and restitute the function of the NVU, would constitute a novel approach in developing successful strategies for treating AD.