title: Neurovascular aspects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe neurodegenerative disease with a complicated and poorly understood pathogenesis. Strong evidence indicates impairment of all neurovascular unit components including the blood-brain and blood-spinal cord barriers (BBB/BSCB) in both patients and animal models. The present review provides an updated analysis of the microvascular pathology and impaired BBB/BSCB in ALS. Based on experimental and clinical ALS studies, the roles of cellular components, cell interactions, tight junctions, transport systems, cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases, and free radicals in the BBB/BSCB disruption are discussed. The impact of BBB/BSCB damage in ALS pathogenesis is a novel research topic, and this review will reveal some aspects of microvascular pathology involved in the disease and hopefully engender new therapeutic approaches.
authors: Center of Excellence for Aging & Brain Repair, University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors: Maria Carolina O
authors: MC
authors: Rodrigues
authors: Diana G
authors: DG
authors: Hernandez-Ontiveros
authors: Michael K
authors: MK
authors: Louis
authors: Alison E
authors: AE
authors: Willing
authors: Cesario V
authors: CV
authors: Borlongan
authors: Paul R
authors: PR
authors: Sanberg
authors: Júlio C
authors: JC
authors: Voltarelli
authors: Svitlana
authors: S
authors: Garbuzova-Davis
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology*