Vascular smooth muscle cells and pericytes (VSMC/PC)

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and pericytes, collectively known as mural cells, are the contractile components of the vasculature. VSMCs wrap around larger vessels like arteries and veins to regulate blood pressure and flow through contraction and relaxation [StatPearls: Physiology, Smooth Muscle]. Pericytes are embedded within the basement membrane of capillaries and microvessels, playing a critical role in maintaining the blood-brain barrier, vascular stability, and angiogenesis [NIH: Pericytes in the Neurovascular Unit]. While these cells are essential for cardiovascular health, their dysfunction is central to pathologies such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetic microangiopathy [PubMed: Mural Cell Dysfunction in Disease]. Therapeutic strategies often target specific molecular pathways within these cells, such as calcium signaling or growth factor receptors, rather than the cells themselves as a single entity [PubChem: Amlodipine; PubMed: PDGFR signaling in pericytes]. Consequently, this entry refers to a cellular population rather than a specific protein or gene target.

Other names

Mural cellsVascular mural cellsContractile vascular cells

Drugs targeting these cells typically act via calcium channel blockade, nitric oxide donation, or antagonism of receptors like the angiotensin II or endothelin receptors to modulate vascular tone and proliferation.