Abstract:Stroke is a cerebrovascular disorder of blood circulation. Studies have shown that astrocytes, microglia and pericytes play an important role in the pathogenesis of stroke. As perivascular multi-potent cells and an important component of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), pericytes have been shown to exert various functions including differentiation and maintaining BBB integrity. Here in this review, we summarize the roles of pericytes in stroke focusing on cerebral blood flow, BBB integrity, angiogenesis, immune responses, scar formation and fibrosis.