Astrocytes and pericytes differentially modulate blood-brain barrier characteristics during development and hypoxic insult.

ABSTRACT: Understanding regulation of blood-brain barrier (BBB) is crucial to reduce/prevent its disruption during injury. As high brain complexity makes interpretation of in vivo data challenging, BBB studies are frequently performed using simplified in vitro models. However, many models fail to address the three-dimensional (3D) cellular interactions that occur in vivo, an important feature that may explain discrepancies in translation of in vitro data to the in vivo situation. We have designed and characterized an innovative 3D model that reproduces morphological and functional characteristics of the BBB in vivo and used it to investigate cellular interactions and contribution of astrocytes and pericytes to BBB development. Our model shows that both astrocytes and pericytes significantly suppress

SUBMITTER: Al Ahmad A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3049523 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature