Tryps and trips: cell trafficking across the 100-year-old blood-brain barrier.
One hundred years ago, Edwin E. Goldmann discovered the blood-brain barrier (BBB) using trypan dyes. These dyes were developed and named by Paul Ehrlich during his search for drugs to kill African trypanosomes (extracellular parasites that cause sleeping sickness) while sparing host cells. For Ehrlich, this was the first strategy based on the 'chemotherapy' concept he had introduced. The discovery of the BBB revealed, however, the difficulties in drug delivery to the brain. Mechanisms by which parasites enter, dwell, and exit the brain currently provide novel views on cell trafficking across the BBB. These mechanisms also highlight the role of pericytes and endocytosis regulation in BBB functioning and in disrupted BBB gating, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration.
Department of Neurological and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. Electronic address: marina.bentivoglio@univr.it.
Marina
M
Bentivoglio
Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Krister
K
Kristensson
D000818:Animals; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D009462:Neurology / Q000266:history; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology
D001391:Azo Compounds; D004396:Coloring Agents; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents
endocytosis; neurodegeneration; neuroinflammation; neurovascular unit; pericytes; sleeping sickness