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Building the blood-brain barrier
October 27, 2008Construction of the brain's border fence is supervised by Wnt/b-catenin signaling, report Liebner et al. in The Journal of Cell Biology.
Like many a modern nation, the brain requires tight border security to maintain levels of nutrients and keep out toxic substances. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a virtually impermeable network of tight junctions between endothelial cells that prevents paracellular flow of materials. Because Wnt/b-catenin signaling is a major pathway regulating other aspects of brain development, the authors examined its potential role in constructing the BBB.
In brain endothelial cells, Wnt signaling was active during the time of maximum vascular development, but not after the BBB matured. Activation of the Wnt signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro promoted BBB development, and inactivation prevented it. In vitro increasing Wnt signaling also strengthened junctions between non-brain endothelial cells.
This suggests that Wnt signaling might be tweaked to mend the BBBs in patients where it has failed-such as in stroke-or to temporarily open the BBB to deliver drugs that would normally be shut out.
Rockefeller University Press
This suggests that Wnt signaling might be tweaked to mend the BBBs in patients where it has failed-such as in stroke-or to temporarily open the BBB to deliver drugs that would normally be shut out.
Rockefeller University Press
Blood-brain Barrier Current Events and Blood-brain Barrier News RSSScripps research scientists find new link between insulin and core body temperature
A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a direct link between insulin-a hormone long associated with metabolism and metabolic disorders such as diabetes-and core body temperature.
Scientists successfully reprogram blood cells
Researchers have transplanted genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells into mice so that their developing red blood cells produce a critical lysosomal enzyme -preventing or reducing organ and central nervous system damage from the often-fatal genetic disorder Hurler's syndrome.
Hybrid molecules show promise for exploring, treating Alzheimer's
One of the many mysteries of Alzheimer's disease is how protein-like snippets called amyloid-beta peptides, which clump together to form plaques in the brain, may cause cell death, leading to the disease's devastating symptoms of memory loss and other mental difficulties.
Researchers identify drug candidate for treating spinal muscular atrophy
A chemical cousin of the common antibiotic tetracycline might be useful in treating spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a currently incurable disease that is the leading genetic cause of death in infants.
Statins show dramatic drug and cell dependent effects in the brain
Besides their tremendous value in treating high cholesterol and lowering the risk of heart disease, statins have also been reported to potentially lower the risks of other diseases, such as dementia.
Angiochem crosses BBB, shows safety, efficacy in phase 1/2 brain cancer studies
Angiochem, Inc. a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing drugs that are uniquely capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier to treat brain diseases, announced today that its lead drug candidate, ANG1005, has demonstrated a favorable safety and efficacy profile in more than 100 patients with brain cancer from two separate Phase 1 /2 clinical studies in patients with progressive gliomas, including recurrent glioblastoma, and in patients with progressive brain metastases.
How meningitis bacteria attack the brain
A specific protein on the surface of a common bacterial pathogen allows the bacteria to leave the bloodstream and enter the brain, initiating the deadly infection known as meningitis.
August 10, 2009 New Class of Compounds Discovered for Potential Alzheimer's Disease Drug, Penn Study Finds
A new class of molecules capable of blocking the formation of specific protein clumps that are believed to contribute to the dementia of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients has been discovered by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Nanoparticles cross blood-brain barrier to enable 'brain tumor painting'
Brain cancer is among the deadliest of cancers. It's also one of the hardest to treat.
Holding Breath for Several Minutes Elevates Marker for Brain Damage
Divers who held their breath for several minutes had elevated levels of a protein that can signal brain damage, according to a new study from the Journal of Applied Physiology.
More Blood-brain Barrier Current Events and Blood-brain Barrier News Articles
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The Blood Brain Barrier by Tomas R. Helio (Editor) The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a membranic structure that acts primarily to protect the brain from chemicals in the blood, while still allowing essential metabolic function. It is composed of endothelial cells, which are packed very tightly in brain capillaries. This higher density restricts passage of substances from the bloodstream much more than endothelial cells in capillaries elsewhere in the body. Astrocyte cell projections called astrocytic feet (also known as 'glia limitans') surround the endothelial cells of the BBB, providing biochemical support to those cells. The BBB is distinct from the similar blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, a function of the choroidal cells of the choroid plexus, and from the Blood-retinal barrier, which can be considered a part of the whole (the... |
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Introduction to the Blood-Brain Barrier: Methodology, Biology and Pathology by William M. Pardridge MD (Editor) Knowledge of the blood-brain barrier forms an essential component in the understanding of a large proportion of medical disciplines. Nevertheless, ignorance in this field still impedes progress in many areas, including cerebrovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, cerebral AIDS, brain tumors, and the development of effective new neuropharmaceuticals. This introduction for both researchers and clinicians across the medical sciences is intended to aid both those beginning work directly in this area and those wishing simply to be better informed when interpreting information where the blood-brain barrier may be involved. Recent advances in both methodology and biology are detailed in fifty state-of-the-art chapters written by international authorities. |
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The Blood-Brain Barrier and Drug Delivery to the CNS by Michael Bradbury (Editor), David Begley (Editor), Jorg Kreuter (Editor) King's College, London, UK. Addresses how to determine drug permeability across the blood-brain barrier more effectively. Focuses on physiological mechanisms influencing the passage of agents into the brain and covers the latest research, problems and solutions, existing strategies, and prospects for future research. For researchers. Expanded-outline format. |
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The Blood-Brain Barrier and Its Microenvironment: Basic Physiology to Neurological Disease by Elga de Vries (Editor), Alexandre Prat (Editor) This reference analyzes the cellular and molecular biology and mechanisms of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and presents the most recent studies on the role of the BBB in the development and initiation of a wide range of physiological and pathological conditions affecting the central nervous system. |
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Blood'Brain Barrier: Biology and Research Protocols (Methods in Molecular Medicine) by Sukriti Nag (Editor) Univ. of Toronto, Canada. Text provides the details of selected morphologic, permeability, transport, in vitro, and molecular techniques for BBB studies. Each part is preceded by a review emphasizing the advantages and pitfalls of particular techniques. Written for researchers in BBB. DNLM: Blood--Brain Barrier--physiology. |
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Blood/Brain Barrier Physiology: Neural Boundaries and the Molecular Mechanisms of CNS Protection: Abstracts of Papers Presented at the 2008 Meeting held December 1-4, 2008 by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (Corporate Author) | |
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Blood Brain Barrier: Drug Delivery and Brain Pathology by David Kobiler (Editor), Shlomo Lustig (Editor), Shlomo Shapira (Editor) These proceedings review and discuss the different aspects of the biology of the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) and its involvement in the pathogenesis of brain disorders. The BBB, formed by a complex cellular system of endothelial cells, astroglia, pericytes, perivascular macrophages and a basal membrane, serves as a controlled functional gate to CNS. In vitro and in vivo models have been established to study the cellular and molecular interaction within the BBB and between the BBB and the neural cells. The structural and functional integrity of the BBB was shown to be dramatically altered during various diseases of the CNS, including neoplasia, ischemia, trauma, inflammation and bacterial and viral infections. Two approaches to drug delivery across the BBB have been pursued, ... |
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Blood Brain Barrier by Aube |
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Blood-Brain Barrier: Cellular and Molecular Biology by William M. Pardridge (Editor) This groundbreaking volume is the first to focus on the cellular and molecular biology of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a membrane that, until recently, was studied only from the perspective of whole-organ physiology. The book presents concepts and experimental methods that are of vital importance to neuroscientists, cellular and molecular biologists, pharmacologists developing strategies for drug delivery to the brain, and immunologists studying lymphocyte trafficking and antigen presentation at the blood-brain barrier.Sections of the book cover cell-cell interactions; brain capillary endothelial subcellular organelle function; brain microvascular signal transduction phenomena; and molecular cloning and expression of brain capillary-specific genes. The... |
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Bonaparte Crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier Alec K. Redfearn And The Eyesores (Primary Contributor) |
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