The dynamic blood-brain barrier.
With the endothelium as its central unit, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a complex multicellular structure separating the central nervous system (CNS) from the systemic circulation. Disruption of the BBB has now been implicated in a multitude of acute and chronic CNS disorders indicating the potentially devastating effects of BBB breakdown on brain function. However, the healthy BBB is not an impermeable wall, but rather a communication 'centre', responding to and passing signals between the CNS and blood. New studies are identifying BBB-specific transport pathways that tightly regulate the entry and exit of molecules to and from the brain. They are revealing a highly plastic barrier in which dynamic changes in BBB components like paracellular tight junction complexes can contribute to BBB maintenance. Here, we provide a succinct overview of the current state-of-play in BBB research and summarize novel findings into BBB regulation in homeostatic regulation of the brain.
Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
James
J
Keaney
Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Matthew
M
Campbell
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000502:physiology; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1 / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D017628:Microglia / Q000502:physiology; D020286:Pericytes / Q000502:physiology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology; D027981:Symporters; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D057900:Transcytosis; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; C549328:MFSD2A protein, human; D027981:Symporters; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
Alzheimer's disease; GLUT-1; Mfsd2a; astrocytes; blood-brain barrier; gut microbiota; neurovascular unit; pericytes; tight junctions; transcytosis