The vasculature of the central nervous system (eNS) is characterized by the existence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which can be regarded as both an anatomical and physiological phenomenon. The BBB is formed by a complex cellular system of endothelial cells, astroglia, pericytes, perivascular macrophages and a basal membrane, although the anatomic substrate of the BBB is the interendothelial tight junctions that form a continuous sealing. The BBB serves as an exquisitely controlled, functional gate to the eNS. It not only protects the brain from agents in the blood that could impair neurological function, but also controls the influx and efflux of numerous substances to maintain proper homeostasis and provide the brain with necessary nutrients. The structural and functional integrity of the BBB was shown to be dramatically altered during various diseases of the eNS, including neoplasia, ischemia, trauma, hypertension, inflammation and epilepsy. Recent years research has partially elucidated the mechanisms underlying the development of some of these brain disorders as well as the pathways used by different pathogens, like bacteria and viruses, to initiate eNS infections. The development of in vitro models of the BBB had instrumental role in the understanding of the involvement of the BBB in the pathogenesis of several eNS diseases. The intimate, functional association between the function of the brain and the activity of the BBB makes the later a target for pharmacological modulation that will expand the therapeutic possibilities for a range of neurological diseases.
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ISBN-13
978-1-4615-0579-2 (9781461505792)
DOI
10.1007/978-1-4615-0579-2
Schweitzer Klassifikation
1. Overview of the Structure and Function of the Blood-Brain Barrier in vivo.- 2. Expression and Modulation of Blood-Brain Monocarboxylate Transporters.- 3. Neuroprotective and Detoxifying Mechanisms at the Blood-Brain Interfaces.- 4. Measurement and Prediction of Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability: In vivo, in silico and in vitro approaches.- 5. Recent Advances in the Development of Cell Culture Models for the Blood-Brain and Blood-CSF-Barrier.- 6. Gene Expression Changes and Progression to a BBB Phenotype in a Dynamic Model of the BBB.- 7. Novel Endothelial-Mediated Responses Associated with Micro-Circulation and BBB function.- 8. Modulators of Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Permeability: In Vitro and In Vivo Drug Transport to the Brain.- 9. Controlled Modulation of the Blood-Brain and Blood-Tumor Barrier Using Novel Lipid Mimetic Compounds.- 10. Carbon Dioxide Gas as an Angiographic Contrast Agent in the Cerebral Circulation.- 11. Diffusion MRI and Q-Space Diffusion MRI: From Cerebral Ischemia to Multiple Sclerosis and Beyond.- 12. Brain Iron Uptake and Transport in Animal Model of Iron Deficiency, Tardive Dyskinesia and Neurodegenerative Diseases.- 13. Stress, Pyridostigmine and the Blood-Brain Barrier.- 14. Transcytosis and Signalling of Pneumococci at the Blood-Brain Barrier.- 15. Entry of Viruses into the Central Nervous System.- 16. An Animal Model for the Study of BBB Modulators.- 17. Physiological Pathways Responsible for the Breakdown of the Blood-Brain Barrier During Viral Encephalitis.- 18. Gene Transfer to the Salivary Glands: Application in Gene Therapy.- 19. The Effect of Hyperosmotic Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption on Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.- 20. Direct In Vivo Evidence for ?4-Integrin Mediated Interaction of Encephalitogenic T Cells withEndothelial VCAM-1 in the Spinal Cord White Matter Using Intravital Fluorescence Videomicroscopy.- 21. The Blood-Brain Barrier in Immune Mediated Diseases of the Central Nervous System.- 22. Strategies for Increasing Drug Delivery to the Brain: Lessons Derived from Treatment of Brain Tumors.- 23. Intraarterial Therapy With or Without Radiation Therapy for Patients with Brain Tumors.- 24. Optimizing Drugs for Brain Action.- 25. The Role of Plasma Protein Binding in Drug Delivery to Brain.- 26. Issues Related to Intranasal Delivery of Neuropeptides to Temporal Lobe Targets.- 27. Synthesis of Poly(Carboxyphenoxypropane-Sebacic Anhydride) for the Delivery of Drugs to the Brain.- 28. Intranasal Delivery of Bioactive Peptides or Peptide Analogues Enhances Spatial Memory and Protects Against Cholinergic Deficits.- 29. Role of Inflammation in Stroke: Benefits or Harm?.- 30. Variations in Neuropathology and Pathophysiology Over Time and Among Areas in a Rat Model of Focal Areas in a Rat Model of Focal Cerebral Ischemia.- 31. Impairment and Pharmacological Protection of the Blood-Brain Barrier After Head Trauma.- 32. Pathophysiology of the Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier in Spinal Cord Injury.
