A Vascular Perspective on Neurogenesis

The vasculature has been identified as a prominent feature across several stem cell niches, suggesting a crucial role in their regulation and maintenance. While a critical component of every organ and tissue, it has adopted specific features for specialized microenvironments. Most notably, the subventricular (SVZ) and subgranular (SGZ) zones of the adult brain harbor unique vascular plexi that are finely tuned to support neural stem cell (NSC) function and behavior. Whether it is through direct contact with, and paracrine signaling from, endothelial and mural cells that comprise blood vessels, or systemically via distribution of soluble factors from the circulation, the vasculature serves as a multifaceted stem cell niche regulator. As emerging evidence continues to emphasize the importance of vascular and nervous system interdependency, it is clear that the vascular compartment in the neural stem cell niche is uniquely poised to coordinate responses of both systems to ensure proper maintenance and regeneration, as needed.