Cell trafficking through the choroid plexus.
The choroid plexus is a multifunctional organ that sits at the interface between the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). It serves as a gateway for immune cell trafficking into the CSF and is in an excellent position to provide continuous immune surveillance by CD4 (+)  T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells and to regulate immune cell trafficking in response to disease and trauma. However, little is known about the mechanisms that control trafficking through this structure. Three cell types within the choroid plexus, in particular, may play prominent roles in controlling the development of immune responses within the nervous system: the epithelial cells, which form the blood-CSF barrier, and resident macrophages and dendritic cells in the stromal matrix. Adhesion molecule and chemokine expression by the epithelial cells allows substantial control over the selection of cells that transmigrate. Macrophages and dendritic cells can present antigen within the choroid plexus and/or transmigrate into the cerebral ventricles to serve a variety of possible immune functions. Studies to better understand the diverse functions of these cells are likely to reveal new insights that foster the development of novel pharmacological and macrophage-based interventions for the control of CNS immune responses.
Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. meekerr@neurology.unc.edu
Rick B
RB
Meeker
Kimberly
K
Williams
Deirdre A
DA
Killebrew
Lola C
LC
Hudson
D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018925:Chemokines / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002831:Choroid Plexus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism
D018925:Chemokines; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1