The blood-brain barrier: Structure, function and therapeutic approaches to cross it
Molecular Membrane Biology. 2014-07-21; 31(5): 152-167
DOI: 10.3109/09687688.2014.937468
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1. Mol Membr Biol. 2014 Aug;31(5):152-67. doi: 10.3109/09687688.2014.937468. Epub
2014 Jul 21.
The blood-brain barrier: structure, function and therapeutic approaches to cross
it.
Tajes M(1), Ramos-Fernández E, Weng-Jiang X, Bosch-Morató M, Guivernau B,
Eraso-Pichot A, Salvador B, Fernàndez-Busquets X, Roquer J, Muñoz FJ.
Author information:
(1)Laboratory of Molecular Physiology and Channelopathies, Department of
Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) , Barcelona,
Spain .
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is constituted by a specialized vascular
endothelium that interacts directly with astrocytes, neurons and pericytes. It
protects the brain from the molecules of the systemic circulation but it has to
be overcome for the proper treatment of brain cancer, psychiatric disorders or
neurodegenerative diseases, which are dramatically increasing as the population
ages. In the present work we have revised the current knowledge on the cellular
structure of the BBB and the different procedures utilized currently and those
proposed to cross it. Chemical modifications of the drugs, such as increasing
their lipophilicity, turn them more prone to be internalized in the brain. Other
mechanisms are the use of molecular tools to bind the drugs such as small
immunoglobulins, liposomes or nanoparticles that will act as Trojan Horses
favoring the drug delivery in brain. This fusion of the classical pharmacology
with nanotechnology has opened a wide field to many different approaches with
promising results to hypothesize that BBB will not be a major problem for the new
generation of neuroactive drugs. The present review provides an overview of all
state-of-the-art of the BBB structure and function, as well as of the classic
strategies and these appeared in recent years to deliver drugs into the brain for
the treatment of Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases.
DOI: 10.3109/09687688.2014.937468
PMID: 25046533 [Indexed for MEDLINE]