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New treatments for neuroinflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosisare becoming available
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Summary The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an exclusive component of the endothelium of cerebral capillaries, where tight junctions tightly regulate the internal environment of the brain by preventing substances in the blood from crossing into the brain. While the integrity of the BBB is critical to prevent the entry of toxic substances and inflammatory cells into the brain, it also impedes access of many pharmacological agents to cerebral tissues. In fact, BBB permeability is frequently a rate-limiting factor for the penetration of drugs or peptides into the central nervous system. In studying experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a well-established mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), Cornell researchers have unlocked a mechanism of regulating BBB permeability to molecules and inflammatory cells. Studies eliciting EAE in mice clearly demonstrate that modulating BBB permeability directly affects disease manifestation.