Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eveline van Leeuwen, Mark B. Hampton, Leon C. D. Smyth
Summary: Inflammation is a common feature in neurological diseases. This study demonstrates that a compound called hypothiocyanous acid can damage brain endothelial cells and result in the loss of barrier function, which may be a mechanism involved in neutrophil transmigration and neuroinflammation.
Review
Cell Biology
Ece Bayir, Aylin Sendemir
Summary: The blood-brain barrier is a highly selective cellular monolayer unique to the central nervous system microvasculature, mediating communication with the body by regulating the passage of molecules. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of intermediate filaments in the formation and function of cell-cell junctions, particularly vimentin in endothelial cells. Intermediate filaments may have been overlooked as key targets in regulating blood-brain barrier permeability in health and disease.
Article
Immunology
Dylan Krajewski, Debayon Paul, Shujun Ge, Evan Jellison, Joel S. Pachter
Summary: In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), claudin-5 (CLN-5) was found on leukocytes in the blood and central nervous system (CNS), potentially facilitating leukocyte transendothelial migration (TEM) across the blood-brain barrier. Flow cytometry analysis showed CLN-5(+) populations among various leukocyte subtypes, with higher levels in CNS tissue than in blood, suggesting preferential access to the CNS. This novel mechanism may guide leukocytes to sites for diapedesis across the BBB.
JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Shanshan Zhang, Lin Gan, Fengye Cao, Hao Wang, Peng Gong, Congcong Ma, Li Ren, Yubo Lin, Xianming Lin
Summary: This review provides an overview of the three barriers formed between the cerebrovascular and the brain parenchyma, focusing on the composition and function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). It discusses the limitations of the BBB for drug delivery and explores potential strategies for improving CNS drug delivery.
BRAIN RESEARCH BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Valentina Castagnola, Lieselot Deleye, Alice Podesta, Edra Jaho, Fabrizio Loiacono, Doriana Debellis, Martina Trevisani, Dinu Zinovie Ciobanu, Andrea Armirotti, Francesco Pisani, Emmanuel Flahaut, Ester Vazquez, Mattia Bramini, Fabrizia Cesca, Fabio Benfenati
Summary: Due to their biocompatibility and high cargo capability, graphene-based materials are considered as an ideal brain delivery system. In this study, we used two in vitro models to investigate the interactions between graphene oxide and few-layer graphene with the blood-brain barrier. Our results show that the two graphene materials have good biocompatibility and do not significantly affect the integrity and functionality of the barrier, but their translocation across the barrier is rare.
Article
Neurosciences
Basharat Hussain, Cheng Fang, Xiaowen Huang, Ziying Feng, Yuxuan Yao, Yu Wang, Junlei Chang
Summary: Damage to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) can lead to neuronal dysfunction and CNS disorders. The Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the adult BBB, but its impact on BBB breakdown is not well understood. This study shows that disruption of endothelial Wnt/beta-catenin signaling reduces BBB permeability and impairs both the paracellular and transcellular transport routes. Understanding the mechanisms of BBB disruption could have important implications for the treatment of CNS disorders.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Augustas Pivoriunas, Alexei Verkhratsky
Summary: The evolution of the blood-brain barrier is closely related to the centralization of the nervous system. Different animals have different ways of forming barriers, with the vertebrates having an endothelial barrier secured by tight and adherent junctions. Astrocytes communicate with endothelial cells through secretion, regulating the integrity of the blood-brain barrier.
NEUROCHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Shinsuke Nakagawa, Hiroki Ohara, Masami Niwa, Kazuo Yamagata, Toru Nabika
Summary: This study examines the role of brain capillary endothelial cells (BECs), astrocytes, and pericytes in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). In vitro BBB models were constructed using different combinations of cells. The results showed that SHRSP BECs had lower barrier function, SHRSP astrocytes impaired the ability to induce barrier function in BECs, and both SHRSP and Wistar Kyoto astrocytes and pericytes could potentiate the barrier function of BECs. Defective interaction among BBB cells, especially BECs and astrocytes, was found to be responsible for the functional disorder of BBB in SHRSP.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Daniel Maucher, Birte Schmidt, Julia Schumann
Summary: Dysfunction of the endothelial barrier is central in inflammatory processes like sepsis and atherosclerosis. In this study, cytokine-induced weakening of the endothelial barrier was associated with changes in the transcriptome and upregulation of miR-29a-3p, miR-29b-3p, and miR-155-5p, which target central adhesion proteins' mRNAs. This suggests a posttranscriptional mechanism regulated by inflammatory cytokines.
Article
Cell Biology
Karolina Kriauciunaite, Agne Pociute, Aida Kausyle, Justina Pajarskiene, Alexei Verkhratsky, Augustas Pivoriunas
Summary: Our study demonstrates that autocrine secretion of bFGF is necessary for the proper barrier function of BCECs, while exogenous bFGF in higher doses suppresses barrier resistance. bFGF exerts a dual regulatory role in the modulation of BCEC barrier function by regulating TEER.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Lars Winkler, Rosel Blasig, Olga Breitkreuz-Korff, Philipp Berndt, Sophie Dithmer, Hans C. Helms, Dmytro Puchkov, Kavi Devraj, Mehmet Kaya, Zhihai Qin, Stefan Liebner, Hartwig Wolburg, Anuska Andjelkovic, Andre Rex, Ingolf E. Blasig, Reiner F. Haseloff
Summary: The study shows that Cldn3 and occludin play a protective role in the stroke by maintaining the integrity of TJ and BBB, but also contribute to the development of edema and infarction.
JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Weijun Wang, Nagore Marin-Ramos, Haiping He, Shan Zeng, Hee-Yeon Cho, Stephen D. Swenson, Long Zheng, Alan L. Epstein, Axel H. Schonthal, Florence M. Hofman, Ligang Chen, Thomas C. Chen
Summary: NEO100 was found to safely and reversibly open the BBB, allowing for increased brain entry of various therapeutics in both in vitro and in vivo models. Mechanistic studies revealed its effects on different BBB transport pathways and the translocation of tight junction proteins in brain endothelial cells. This approach has the potential to provide a safe and widely available method to enhance brain entry of therapeutics.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qian Yue, Xinhua Zhou, Zaijun Zhang, Maggie Pui Man Hoi
Summary: The study found that murine sA beta (1-42) oligomers had moderate toxicity on an endothelial and astrocyte co-culture, leading to endothelial barrier disruptions induced by deleterious soluble factors released from astrocytes which disrupted endothelial VEGFR2 signaling and perturbed cell survival and barrier stabilization.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Julia Castillo-Gonzalez, Jose Luis Ruiz, Ignacio Serrano-Martinez, Irene Forte-Lago, Ana Ubago-Rodriguez, Marta Caro, Jesus Miguel Perez-Gomez, Alejandro Benitez-Troncoso, Eduardo Andres-Leon, Macarena Sanchez-Navarro, Raul M. Luque, Elena Gonzalez-Rey
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the potential function of endogenous and therapeutic cortistatin in regulating brain endothelium dysfunction in a neuroinflammatory/neurodegenerative environment. The results demonstrated that cortistatin plays a key role in maintaining cerebral microvasculature physiology, and its presence is crucial for a balanced response to damage and the repair of barrier integrity. Cortistatin-based therapies could emerge as a novel strategy to ameliorate neuroinflammatory/neurodegenerative disorders with disrupted BBB.
JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2023)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Lu Pang, Yun Wang
Summary: This review discusses the impact of METH abuse on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and its potential role in neurodegenerative diseases. It also explores the risk factors and potential therapeutic agents for treating METH-induced BBB dysfunction.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)