title: Role of the blood-brain barrier in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system associated with demyelination and axonal loss eventually leading to neurodegeneration. MS exhibits many of the hallmarks of an inflammatory autoimmune disorder including breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is a complex organization of cerebral endothelial cells, pericytes and their basal lamina, which are surrounded and supported by astrocytes and perivascular macrophages. In pathological conditions, lymphocytes activated in the periphery infiltrate the central nervous system to trigger a local immune response that ultimately damages myelin and axons. Cytotoxic factors including pro-inflammatory cytokines, proteases, and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species accumulate and may contribute to myelin destruction. Dysregulation of the BBB and transendothelial migration of activated leukocytes are among the earliest cerebrovascular abnormalities seen in MS brains and parallel the release of inflammatory cytokines. In this review we establish the importance of the role of the BBB in MS. Improvements in our understanding of molecular mechanism of BBB functioning in physiological and pathological conditions could lead to improvement in the quality of life of MS patients.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Desarrollo-Envejecimiento, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente (CIBO), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. Electronic address: genarogabriel@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Genaro Gabriel
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: Fermín Paul
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Pacheco-Moisés
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurología, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad (UMAE), Hospital de Especialidades (HE), Centro Médico de Nacional de Occidente (CMNO), IMSS, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: Miguel Ángel
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Macías-Islas
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS), Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: Luis Javier
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Flores-Alvarado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurología, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad (UMAE), Hospital de Especialidades (HE), Centro Médico de Nacional de Occidente (CMNO), IMSS, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: Mario A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mireles-Ramírez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Desarrollo-Envejecimiento, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente (CIBO), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: Erika Daniela
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: González-Renovato
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Desarrollo-Envejecimiento, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente (CIBO), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: Vanessa Elizabeth
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Hernández-Navarro
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Desarrollo-Envejecimiento, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente (CIBO), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: Angélica Lizeth
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Sánchez-López
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Desarrollo-Envejecimiento, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente (CIBO), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.
authors.forename: Moisés Alejandro
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alatorre-Jiménez
mesh_terms: D001253:Astrocytes / Q000473:pathology; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000276:immunology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000276:immunology; D057705:Transendothelial and Transepithelial Migration
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016207:Cytokines
keywords: Blood–brain barrier; Central nervous system; Multiple sclerosis; Oxidative stress