Human brain microvascular endothelial cell pairs model tissue-level blood-brain barrier function.

ABSTRACT: The blood-brain barrier plays a critical role in delivering oxygen and nutrients to the brain while preventing the transport of neurotoxins. Predicting the ability of potential therapeutics and neurotoxicants to modulate brain barrier function remains a challenge due to limited spatial resolution and geometric constraints offered by existing in vitro models. Using soft lithography to control the shape of microvascular tissues, we predicted blood-brain barrier permeability states based on structural changes in human brain endothelial cells. We quantified morphological differences in nuclear, junction, and cytoskeletal proteins that influence, or indicate, barrier permeability. We established a correlation between brain endothelial cell pair structure and permeability by treating cell pairs

SUBMITTER: O'Connor BB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7155416 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature