Nanotubes in the eye that help us see

Tunnelling between cells

Wrapped around the capillaries are pericytes, cells that have the ability to control the amount of blood passing through a single capillary simply by squeezing and releasing it.

"Using a microscopy technique to visualize vascular changes in living mice, we showed that pericytes project very thin tubes, called inter-pericyte tunnelling nanotubes, to communicate with other pericytes located in distant capillaries," said Alarcon-Martinez. "Through these nanotubes, the pericytes can talk to each other to deliver blood where it is most needed."

Another important feature, added Villafranca-Baughman, is that "the capillaries lose their ability to shuttle blood where it is required when the tunnelling nanotubes are damaged--after an ischemic stroke, for example. The lack of blood supply that follows has a detrimental effect on neurons and the overall tissue function."

The team's findings suggest that microvascular deficits observed in neurodegenerative diseases like strokes, glaucoma, and Alzheimer's disease might result from the loss of tunnelling nanotubes and impaired blood distribution. Strategies that protect these nanostructures should then be beneficial, but remain to be demonstrated.

For more details click on the link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2589-x