title: Cell-cell signaling in the neurovascular unit.
abstract: Historically, the neuron has been the conceptual focus for almost all of neuroscience research. In recent years, however, the concept of the neurovascular unit has emerged as a new paradigm for investigating both physiology and pathology in the CNS. This concept proposes that a purely neurocentric focus is not sufficient, and emphasizes that all cell types in the brain including neuronal, glial and vascular components, must be examined in an integrated context. Cell-cell signaling and coupling between these different compartments form the basis for normal function. Disordered signaling and perturbed coupling form the basis for dysfunction and disease. In this mini-review, we will survey four examples of this phenomenon: hemodynamic neurovascular coupling linking blood flow to brain activity; cellular communications that evoke the blood-brain barrier phenotype; parallel systems that underlie both neurogenesis and angiogenesis in the CNS; and finally, the potential exchange of trophic factors that may link neuronal, glial and vascular homeostasis.
authors: Neuroprotection Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, MGH East 149-2401, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
authors: Josephine
authors: J
authors: Lok
authors: Punkaj
authors: P
authors: Gupta
authors: Shuzhen
authors: S
authors: Guo
authors: Woo Jean
authors: WJ
authors: Kim
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Whalen
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: van Leyen
authors: Eng H
authors: EH
authors: Lo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000502:physiology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors