Spatial atlas of the human brain vasculature reveals specialized cell ensembles

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Authors: Jerry C. Wang, Damian Sanchez, Santhosh Arul, Belda Gülsuyu, Adnan Gopinadhan, Tanzila Mukhtar, Joseph Kim, John P. Andrews, Marcus A. C. Williams, Yewon Jung, Mana L. Hashimoto, Chang N. Kim
+18 more Shubhang Bhalla, Nathan A. Ewing-Crystal, John M. Bernabei, Vijay Letchuman, Alexander F. Haddad, Kafi Hemphill, S. M. Weinsheimer, Helen Kim, Kazim H. Narsinh, Daniel L. Cooke, Cathryn R. Cadwell, Thomas Wälchli, Fanny M. Elahi, Andrew C. Yang, Peng He, Edward F. Chang, Ari B. Molofsky, Ethan A. Winkler
Cited by: 1
References: 263

Abstract

The brain vasculature comprises diverse specialized cells that are essential for brain function, yet their spatial organization remains poorly understood. Here, we construct a comprehensive cerebrovascular cell atlas encompassing 314,535 transcriptomes that captures the arteriovenous axis and defines consensus cell states. We then perform spatial transcriptomics to map 1,529,740 cells across the human temporal cortex and hippocampus, uncovering stereotyped micro-communities termed vascular cell ensembles. These ensembles comprise specialized subsets of endothelial cells, mural cells, fibroblasts, and perivascular macrophages that align with the arteriovenous architecture to coordinate segment-specific functions, such as neurovascular coupling, blood-brain barrier transport, and immune surveillance. By overlaying genetic risk and pharmacologic reactivity, we identify ensemble-specific susceptibilities and candidate therapeutic targets across neurological diseases, including small vessel disease and stroke. This study provides a resource to dissect the spatial and functional logic underlying human cerebrovascular biology and establishes a blueprint for decoding neurological disease susceptibility and therapeutic response.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Barrier Structure and Function Studies Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics Angiogenesis and VEGF in Cancer

Publication details

Journal / source
Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
189
Issue
19
Pages
6125–6152.e8
Publication date
31 July 2026
Language
EN