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Melzer N, Weber K, Räuber S, Rosenow F. [(Auto)immunity in focal epilepsy: mechanisms of (auto‑)immune-inflammatory epileptogenic neurodegeneration]. DER NERVENARZT 2024:10.1007/s00115-024-01695-5. [PMID: 38953922 DOI: 10.1007/s00115-024-01695-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE While the neuronal mechanisms of epileptic hyperexcitability (HE) have been studied in detail, recent findings suggest that extraneuronal, mainly immune-mediated inflammatory and vascular mechanisms play an important role in the development and progression of HE in epilepsy and the cognitive and behavioral comorbidities. MATERIAL AND METHODS Narrative review. RESULTS As in autoimmune (limbic) encephalitis (ALE/AIE) or Rasmussen's encephalitis (RE), the primary adaptive and innate immune responses and associated changes in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and neurovascular unit (NVU) can cause acute cortical hyperexcitability (HE) and the development of hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and other structural cortical lesions with chronic HE. Cortical HE, which is associated with malformation of cortical development (MCD) and low-grade epilepsy-associated tumors (LEAT), for example, can be accompanied by secondary adaptive and innate immune responses and alterations in the BBB and NVU, potentially modulating the ictogenicity and epileptogenicity. These associations illustrate the influence of adaptive and innate immune mechanisms and associated changes in the BBB and NVU on cortical excitability and vice versa, suggesting a dynamic and complex interplay of these factors in the development and progression of epilepsy in general. DISCUSSION The described concept of a neuro-immune-vascular interaction in focal epilepsy opens up new possibilities for the pathogenetic understanding and thus also for the selective therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Melzer
- Klinik für Neurologie, Medizinische Fakultät und Universitätsklinikum, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Deutschland.
| | - Katharina Weber
- Neurologisches Institut (Edinger Institut), Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI), Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
- Partnerstätte Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main und Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Deutsches Konsortium für Translationale Krebsforschung (DKTK), Heidelberg, Deutschland
- Universitäres Centrum für Tumorerkrankungen Frankfurt (UCT), Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
| | - Saskia Räuber
- Klinik für Neurologie, Medizinische Fakultät und Universitätsklinikum, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Deutschland
| | - Felix Rosenow
- Epilepsiezentrum Frankfurt Rhein-Main, Klinik für Neurologie, Zentrum für Neurologie und Neurochirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland.
- LOEWE Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland.
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Priya, Yadav N, Anand S, Banerjee J, Tripathi M, Chandra PS, Dixit AB. The multifaceted role of Wnt canonical signalling in neurogenesis, neuroinflammation, and hyperexcitability in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Neuropharmacology 2024; 251:109942. [PMID: 38570066 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterised by unprovoked, repetitive seizures caused by abnormal neuronal firing. The Wnt/β-Catenin signalling pathway is involved in seizure-induced neurogenesis, aberrant neurogenesis, neuroinflammation, and hyperexcitability associated with epileptic disorder. Wnt/β-Catenin signalling is crucial for early brain development processes including neuronal patterning, synapse formation, and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) regulation. Disruption of molecular networks such as Wnt/β-catenin signalling in epilepsy could offer encouraging anti-epileptogenic targets. So, with a better understanding of the canonical Wnt/-Catenin pathway, we highlight in this review the important elements of Wnt/-Catenin signalling specifically in Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (MTLE) for potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya
- Dr. B.R Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Nitin Yadav
- Dr. B.R Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Sneha Anand
- Dr. B.R Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Jyotirmoy Banerjee
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Manjari Tripathi
- Department of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - P Sarat Chandra
- Department of Neurosurgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Reiter JT, Schulte F, Bauer T, David B, Endler C, Isaak A, Schuch F, Bitzer F, Witt JA, Hattingen E, Deichmann R, Attenberger U, Becker AJ, Helmstaedter C, Radbruch A, Surges R, Friedman A, Rüber T. Evidence for interictal blood-brain barrier dysfunction in people with epilepsy. Epilepsia 2024; 65:1462-1474. [PMID: 38436479 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Interictal blood-brain barrier dysfunction in chronic epilepsy has been demonstrated in animal models and pathological specimens. Ictal blood-brain barrier dysfunction has been shown in humans in vivo using an experimental quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol. Here, we hypothesized that interictal blood-brain barrier dysfunction is also present in people with drug-resistant epilepsy. METHODS Thirty-nine people (21 females, mean age at MRI ± SD = 30 ± 8 years) with drug-resistant epilepsy were prospectively recruited and underwent interictal T1-relaxometry before and after administration of a paramagnetic contrast agent. Likewise, quantitative T1 was acquired in 29 people without epilepsy (12 females, age at MRI = 48 ± 18 years). Quantitative T1 difference maps were calculated and served as a surrogate imaging marker for blood-brain barrier dysfunction. Values of quantitative T1 difference maps inside hemispheres ipsilateral to the presumed seizure onset zone were then compared, on a voxelwise level and within presumed seizure onset zones, to the contralateral side of people with epilepsy and to people without epilepsy. RESULTS Compared to the contralateral side, ipsilateral T1 difference values were significantly higher in white matter (corrected p < .05), gray matter (uncorrected p < .05), and presumed seizure onset zones (p = .04) in people with epilepsy. Compared to people without epilepsy, significantly higher T1 difference values were found in the anatomical vicinity of presumed seizure onset zones (p = .004). A subgroup of people with hippocampal sclerosis demonstrated significantly higher T1 difference values in the ipsilateral hippocampus and in regions strongly interconnected with the hippocampus compared to people without epilepsy (corrected p < .01). Finally, z-scores reflecting the deviation of T1 difference values within the presumed seizure onset zone were associated with verbal memory performance (p = .02) in people with temporal lobe epilepsy. SIGNIFICANCE Our results indicate a blood-brain barrier dysfunction in drug-resistant epilepsy that is detectable interictally in vivo, anatomically related to the presumed seizure onset zone, and associated with cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes T Reiter
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Freya Schulte
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Bauer
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bastian David
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christoph Endler
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexander Isaak
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Fabiane Schuch
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Felix Bitzer
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Elke Hattingen
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University Hospital and Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ralf Deichmann
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ulrike Attenberger
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Albert J Becker
- Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | | | - Rainer Surges
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alon Friedman
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Departments of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Physiology, and Cell Biology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Theodor Rüber
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Santos AB, Carona A, Ettcheto M, Camins A, Falcão A, Fortuna A, Bicker J. Krüppel-like factors: potential roles in blood-brain barrier dysfunction and epileptogenesis. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2024:10.1038/s41401-024-01285-w. [PMID: 38684799 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-024-01285-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a chronic and debilitating neurological disorder, known for the occurrence of spontaneous and recurrent seizures. Despite the availability of antiseizure drugs, 30% of people with epilepsy experience uncontrolled seizures and drug resistance, evidencing that new therapeutic options are required. The process of epileptogenesis involves the development and expansion of tissue capable of generating spontaneous recurrent seizures, during which numerous events take place, namely blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction, and neuroinflammation. The consequent cerebrovascular dysfunction results in a lower seizure threshold, seizure recurrence, and chronic epilepsy. This suggests that improving cerebrovascular health may interrupt the pathological cycle responsible for disease development and progression. Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are a family of zinc-finger transcription factors, encountered in brain endothelial cells, glial cells, and neurons. KLFs are known to regulate vascular function and changes in their expression are associated with neuroinflammation and human diseases, including epilepsy. Hence, KLFs have demonstrated various roles in cerebrovascular dysfunction and epileptogenesis. This review critically discusses the purpose of KLFs in epileptogenic mechanisms and BBB dysfunction, as well as the potential of their pharmacological modulation as therapeutic approach for epilepsy treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andreia Carona
- University of Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Coimbra, Portugal
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miren Ettcheto
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neuroscience, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Spain
| | - Antoni Camins
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neuroscience, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Spain
| | - Amílcar Falcão
- University of Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Coimbra, Portugal
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Fortuna
- University of Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Coimbra, Portugal
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joana Bicker
- University of Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Coimbra, Portugal.
- University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, Coimbra, Portugal.
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Kamondi A, Grigg-Damberger M, Löscher W, Tanila H, Horvath AA. Epilepsy and epileptiform activity in late-onset Alzheimer disease: clinical and pathophysiological advances, gaps and conundrums. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:162-182. [PMID: 38356056 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-024-00932-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence has demonstrated a link between Alzheimer disease (AD) and epilepsy. Late-onset epilepsy and epileptiform activity can precede cognitive deterioration in AD by years, and its presence has been shown to predict a faster disease course. In animal models of AD, amyloid and tau pathology are linked to cortical network hyperexcitability that precedes the first signs of memory decline. Thus, detection of epileptiform activity in AD has substantial clinical importance as a potential novel modifiable risk factor for dementia. In this Review, we summarize the epidemiological evidence for the complex bidirectional relationship between AD and epilepsy, examine the effect of epileptiform activity and seizures on cognition in people with AD, and discuss the precision medicine treatment strategies based on the latest research in human and animal models. Finally, we outline some of the unresolved questions of the field that should be addressed by rigorous research, including whether particular clinicopathological subtypes of AD have a stronger association with epilepsy, and the sequence of events between epileptiform activity and amyloid and tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Kamondi
- National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | | | - Wolfgang Löscher
- Department of Experimental Otology of the ENT Clinics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Heikki Tanila
- A. I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Andras Attila Horvath
- National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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Bernardino PN, Luo AS, Andrew PM, Unkel CM, Gonzalez MI, Gelli A, Lein PJ. Evidence Implicating Blood-Brain Barrier Impairment in the Pathogenesis of Acquired Epilepsy following Acute Organophosphate Intoxication. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2024; 388:301-312. [PMID: 37827702 PMCID: PMC10801776 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.123.001836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Organophosphate (OP) poisoning can trigger cholinergic crisis, a life-threatening toxidrome that includes seizures and status epilepticus. These acute toxic responses are associated with persistent neuroinflammation and spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS), also known as acquired epilepsy. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment has recently been proposed as a pathogenic mechanism linking acute OP intoxication to chronic adverse neurologic outcomes. In this review, we briefly describe the cellular and molecular components of the BBB, review evidence of altered BBB integrity following acute OP intoxication, and discuss potential mechanisms by which acute OP intoxication may promote BBB dysfunction. We highlight the complex interplay between neuroinflammation and BBB dysfunction that suggests a positive feedforward interaction. Lastly, we examine research from diverse models and disease states that suggest mechanisms by which loss of BBB integrity may contribute to epileptogenic processes. Collectively, the literature identifies BBB impairment as a convergent mechanism of neurologic disease and justifies further mechanistic research into how acute OP intoxication causes BBB impairment and its role in the pathogenesis of SRS and potentially other long-term neurologic sequelae. Such research is critical for evaluating BBB stabilization as a neuroprotective strategy for mitigating OP-induced epilepsy and possibly seizure disorders of other etiologies. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Clinical and preclinical studies support a link between blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction and epileptogenesis; however, a causal relationship has been difficult to prove. Mechanistic studies to delineate relationships between BBB dysfunction and epilepsy may provide novel insights into BBB stabilization as a neuroprotective strategy for mitigating epilepsy resulting from acute organophosphate (OP) intoxication and non-OP causes and potentially other adverse neurological conditions associated with acute OP intoxication, such as cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro N Bernardino
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California (P.N.B., A.S.L., P.M.A., C.M.U., P.J.L.); Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California (M.I.G.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, California (A.G.)
| | - Audrey S Luo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California (P.N.B., A.S.L., P.M.A., C.M.U., P.J.L.); Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California (M.I.G.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, California (A.G.)
| | - Peter M Andrew
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California (P.N.B., A.S.L., P.M.A., C.M.U., P.J.L.); Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California (M.I.G.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, California (A.G.)
| | - Chelsea M Unkel
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California (P.N.B., A.S.L., P.M.A., C.M.U., P.J.L.); Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California (M.I.G.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, California (A.G.)
| | - Marco I Gonzalez
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California (P.N.B., A.S.L., P.M.A., C.M.U., P.J.L.); Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California (M.I.G.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, California (A.G.)
| | - Angie Gelli
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California (P.N.B., A.S.L., P.M.A., C.M.U., P.J.L.); Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California (M.I.G.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, California (A.G.)
| | - Pamela J Lein
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California (P.N.B., A.S.L., P.M.A., C.M.U., P.J.L.); Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California (M.I.G.); and Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, California (A.G.)
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Schiera G, Di Liegro CM, Schirò G, Sorbello G, Di Liegro I. Involvement of Astrocytes in the Formation, Maintenance, and Function of the Blood-Brain Barrier. Cells 2024; 13:150. [PMID: 38247841 PMCID: PMC10813980 DOI: 10.3390/cells13020150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a fundamental structure that protects the composition of the brain by determining which ions, metabolites, and nutrients are allowed to enter the brain from the blood or to leave it towards the circulation. The BBB is structurally composed of a layer of brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) bound to each other through tight junctions (TJs). However, its development as well as maintenance and properties are controlled by the other brain cells that contact the BCECs: pericytes, glial cells, and even neurons themselves. Astrocytes seem, in particular, to have a very important role in determining and controlling most properties of the BBB. Here, we will focus on these latter cells, since the comprehension of their roles in brain physiology has been continuously expanding, even including the ability to participate in neurotransmission and in complex functions such as learning and memory. Accordingly, pathological conditions that alter astrocytic functions can alter the BBB's integrity, thus compromising many brain activities. In this review, we will also refer to different kinds of in vitro BBB models used to study the BBB's properties, evidencing its modifications under pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Schiera
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (Dipartimento di Scienzee Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche) (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (C.M.D.L.)
| | - Carlo Maria Di Liegro
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (Dipartimento di Scienzee Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche) (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (C.M.D.L.)
| | - Giuseppe Schirò
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (G.S.)
- Neurology and Multiple Sclerosis Center, Unità Operativa Complessa (UOC), Foundation Institute “G. Giglio”, 90015 Cefalù, Italy
| | - Gabriele Sorbello
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (G.S.)
| | - Italia Di Liegro
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (G.S.)
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Brandl S, Reindl M. Blood-Brain Barrier Breakdown in Neuroinflammation: Current In Vitro Models. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12699. [PMID: 37628879 PMCID: PMC10454051 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier, which is formed by tightly interconnected microvascular endothelial cells, separates the brain from the peripheral circulation. Together with other central nervous system-resident cell types, including pericytes and astrocytes, the blood-brain barrier forms the neurovascular unit. Upon neuroinflammation, this barrier becomes leaky, allowing molecules and cells to enter the brain and to potentially harm the tissue of the central nervous system. Despite the significance of animal models in research, they may not always adequately reflect human pathophysiology. Therefore, human models are needed. This review will provide an overview of the blood-brain barrier in terms of both health and disease. It will describe all key elements of the in vitro models and will explore how different compositions can be utilized to effectively model a variety of neuroinflammatory conditions. Furthermore, it will explore the existing types of models that are used in basic research to study the respective pathologies thus far.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Markus Reindl
- Clinical Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
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