Pericytes are organ-specific regulators of tissue morphogenesis

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-71643-1 Pericytes help to preserve vascular integrity, but little is known about their role in organ growth and development. Here, the authors report that pericyte-derived HGF and BDNF are required for lung, but not brain, development, whereas Nodal controls vessel growth and barrier function in brain, indicating that pericytes provide organ-specific paracrine signals to control morphogenesis.