Trends in Neurosciences
Volume 25, Issue 2, 1 February 2002, Pages 69-71
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Research update
The ins and outs of brain-barrier mechanisms

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Abstract

The 34th International Union of Physiological Sciences Congress, Satellite Symposium on ‘Blood–brain barrier mechanisms from molecule to patient’ was held at Freycinet Lodge, Tasmania, Australia from 21–24 August 2001.

Section snippets

Choroid plexus transporters, development and neuroprotective role

The choroid plexuses are beginning to emerge from their Cinderella status among barrier aficionados. Peter Brown (University of Manchester, UK) described molecular and electrophysiological approaches to isolated choroid plexus cells and cell membranes that have revealed a wealth of detail about ion transporters and their regional distribution in the external cell membrane [1]. Unlike most other epithelia, in the choroid plexus, secretion (of cerebrospinal fluid; CSF) depends on exchange of HCO3

Tight junctions

Although the term blood–brain barrier is used as a convenient short-hand to describe the whole range of mechanisms that control the internal environment of the brain, the intercellular tight junctions remain an essential underlying barrier structure, which is essential for all of the exchange mechanisms across the blood–brain and blood–CSF barriers. Stefan Liebner (Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy) described the results of an elegant freeze-fracture study of both developing tight

Clinical studies

An important aim of the symposium was to bring together basic, applied and clinical scientists. Of several reports of clinical research that provoked substantial interest and discussion, John Pickard (University of Cambridge, UK) outlined the effectiveness of research intended to give the seriously injured patient access to a whole range of intensive care, monitoring and imaging facilities. This approach clearly benefits the patients, but it also allows a level of investigation that would be

Defeating the blood–brain barrier

A major theme, which generated a lot of discussion, was the problem of getting drugs and other therapeutic agents across the blood–brain barrier. It has been estimated that as many as 98% of neuroactive drugs developed by the pharmaceutical industry are therapeutically useless because they fail to cross into the brain [6]. Mark Habgood (University of Tasmania) discussed the features of brain barrier systems that have to be circumvented in order to obtain entry into the brain. He outlined

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