Strategies for blood-brain barrier rejuvenation and repair.

Peter C Searson, William A Banks

Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. [email protected] for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. [email protected]. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction is a hallmark of many diseases of the brain, including those that represent the largest healthcare burden (for example, Alzheimer disease and stroke). Despite this, rejuvenation and repair of the BBB is not a mainstream concept. During life, the BBB is subjected to perturbations and stresses from a wide range of endogenous or exogenous sources, which can promote brain health or can lead to brain pathologies. The BBB supports many functions that are critical for central nervous system homeostasis and so there are many mechanisms of dysfunction, and hence many targets for intervention. Furthermore, many mechanisms are shared among diseases and disease subtypes, resulting in the potential for common strategies for BBB repair. In this Review, we consider the BBB as a therapeutic target and discuss approaches to its repair and protection in specific disease states and during normal ageing.

The following analysis is generated by AI and may contain errors. It is separate from the authors’ abstract and is not peer review.

Research summary

The paper discusses potential strategies for rejuvenating and repairing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to address dysfunction associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases. The relevance lies in its focus on therapeutic interventions that target the BBB, which is crucial for maintaining brain health and could contribute to longevity by addressing underlying mechanisms of age-related brain pathologies.

Author of this paper? Send a correction.