title: Mechanisms of microbial traversal of the blood-brain barrier.
abstract: Central nervous system (CNS) infections continue to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Microbial invasion and traversal of the blood-brain barrier is a prerequisite for CNS infections. Pathogens can cross the blood-brain barrier transcellularly, paracellularly and/or in infected phagocytes (the so-called Trojan-horse mechanism). Consequently, pathogens can cause blood-brain barrier dysfunction, including increased permeability, pleocytosis and encephalopathy. A more complete understanding of the microbial-host interactions that are involved in microbial traversal of the blood-brain barrier and the associated barrier dysfunction should help to develop new strategies to prevent CNS infections.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 200 North Wolfe Street, Room 3157, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. kwangkim@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Kwang Sik
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000382:microbiology*; D002494:Central Nervous System Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology