The central nervous system pericytes are important components of the blood-brain barrier. They play an important role in vasoconstriction， regulation of cerebral blood flow， and maintenance of the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. In recent years， increasing evidences prove that pericytes play a variety of roles in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. In this paper， the characteristics of pericytes and the role of pericytes in the course of ischemic stroke are briefly introduced.