Analytical and biological methods for probing the blood-brain barrier.
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an important interface between the peripheral and central nervous systems. It protects the brain against the infiltration of harmful substances and regulates the permeation of beneficial endogenous substances from the blood into the extracellular fluid of the brain. It can also present a major obstacle in the development of drugs that are targeted for the central nervous system. Several methods have been developed to investigate the transport and metabolism of drugs, peptides, and endogenous compounds at the BBB. In vivo methods include intravenous injection, brain perfusion, positron emission tomography, and microdialysis sampling. Researchers have also developed in vitro cell-culture models that can be employed to investigate transport and metabolism at the BBB without the complication of systemic involvement. All these methods require sensitive and selective analytical methods to monitor the transport and metabolism of the compounds of interest at the BBB.
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, USA. c.kuhnline@gmail.com
Courtney D
CD
Kuhnline Sloan
Pradyot
P
Nandi
Thomas H
TH
Linz
Jane V
JV
Aldrich
Kenneth L
KL
Audus
Susan M
SM
Lunte
D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D019075:Electrophoresis, Capillary / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000379:methods; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D017551:Microdialysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D010477:Perfusion / Q000379:methods; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods