Pericytes are perivascular cells abundantly present in capillaries of multiple tissues and organs, especially in the central nervous system. Here, we review their role in health and disease situations, focusing on the optic nerve and retina.

Recent discoveries indicate that pericytes play a critical role in the constitution and maturation of blood-retinal barrier and retinal development. Also, pericyte disorders have been related to several vascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

The retina and optic nerve are central nervous system structures that are committed by numerous neurodegenerative diseases, such as ischemic optic neuropathy, hereditary optic neuropathies, and glaucoma. When analyzed, the pathophysiology of these conditions reveals an important vascular component. Thus, we review the morphological organization of arteries and veins in this portion of the eye. We also present the organization and role of the different cells that compose these structures. This study focuses its attention on a specific cell type: pericytes. Therefore, we present the relevance of understanding pericyte biology to propose new therapies for both preventing neurodegeneration and promoting neuroregeneration in central nervous system structures, such as the optic nerve and the retina.