Biology And Physiology Of The Blood Brain Barrier

The endothelial cells of the cerebral vasculature constitute, together with perivascular elements (astrocytes, pcricytes, basement membrane), the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which strictly limits and specifically controls the exchanges between the blood and the cerebral extracellular spacc.The existence of such a physical, enzymatic, and active barrier isolating the central nervous system has broad physiological, biological, pharmacological, and patho logical consequences, most of which are not yet fully elucidated. The Cerebral Vascular Biology conference (CVB '95) was organized and held at the "Carre des Sciences" in Paris on July I 0-12, 1995. Like the CVB '92 conference held in Duluth, Minnesota, three years ago, the objectives were to provide a forum for presentation of the most recent progresses and to stimulate discussions in the ticld of the biology, physiology. and pathology of the blood-brain barrier. The Paris conference gathered more than !50 participants. including investigators in basic neuroscience, physicians. and stu dents, who actively contributed to the scientific program by their oral or poster presentations. This volume contains a collection of short articles that summarize most of the new data that were presented at the conference. Six thematic parts focus on physiological transports. drug delivery, multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein, signal transduction at the BBB. interactions between the immune system and the cerebral endothelial cells, and the blood-brain barrier-related pathologies in the central nervous system. In addition, two introductory articles present new insights in the rapidly evolving topics of cerebral angiogenesis and gene transfer to the brain.

The blood-brain barrier serves to protect the brain from toxic substances whilst simultaneously allowing access to essential nutrients and chemical signals. At the interface between brain and body, knowledge of the blood-brain barrier forms an essential component in the complete understanding of a large proportion of medical disciplines. Nevertheless, it seems that ignorance of both the biology of this important membrane and the methodology suitable for its investigation still remains an impediment to progress in many fields, including, for example, the development of new and efficacious neuropharmaceuticals, cerebrovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, cerebral AIDS and brain tumours. 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. Advances in both methodology and biology are detailed in 50 chapters from international authorities.

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.

This detailed volume features techniques to explore the complex interface that separates the systemic circulation from the central nervous system, known as the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Beginning with an introduction to its physiology, the book continues with sections on using pluripotent stem cells in models of the BBB, co-culture, permeability and transwell models, microfluidic and chip models, as well as models to study specific BBB pathologies. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, The Blood-Brain Barrier: Methods and Protocols collects a wide range of methodologies which will aid all researchers in the fascinating world of the blood-brain barrier.

Located at the interface between blood and the brain, the blood-brain barrier is a dynamic permeability barrier formed by a continuous layer of specialized endothelial cells endowed with important permeability, transport, and regulatory functions that both protect the internal milieu of the brain and allow essential nutrients to be transported into the brain. Over the last 25 years, we have witnessed remarkable expansion of our knowledge of the structure, biology, and function of the cerebral endothelium. In The Blood-Brain Barrier in Health and Disease, Volume 1, international experts discuss basic and new concepts and most recent advances pertaining to the development of the cerebral microvascular system. Subjects include the structure, function, permeability properties, transport mechanisms, and the inherent heterogeneity of the cerebral endothelium; the anatomy and physiological properties of the neurovascular unit; functional aspects of the choroid plexus; and important concepts and advances made over the last two decades that have shaped our understanding of the immunological function of the blood-brain barrier. This book is intended to serve as a valuable source of basic and advanced information for researchers, students, and clinicians interested in this fast-expanding field and stimulate further research well into the future.

The molecular basis for the physiology of the brain has advanced enormously in the past twenty years with an influx of new information gleaned through technological developments in neuroimaging and molecular discoveries. Molecular Physiology and Metabolism of the Nervous System, authored by Gary A. Rosenberg, an authority on the physiology of brain fluids and metabolism, combines the classic physiology that dates back to the beginning of the nineteenth century with the advances in molecular sciences, providing a strong framework for understanding the diseases that are commonly treated by neurologists. Molecular Physiology and Metabolism of the Nervous System focuses on the current neuropathology and implications of cerebrospinal fluid diseases and diseases of the blood-brain barrier: how the two affect stroke, infection, brain tumors, and increased intracranial pressure. The book discusses the effects of blood flow in stroke and dementia, the disruption of the blood-brain barrier in neuroinflammation, and the dysfunction due to brain edema and increased intracranial pressure. Molecular Physiology and Metabolism of the Nervous System is necessary reading for neurologists, neuroscientists, and residents in neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, giving them a strong grounding in physiology and metabolism that will aid them in diagnosis and treatment.