Development of a three-dimensional blood-brain barrier network with opening capillary structures for drug transport screening assays.

ABSTRACT: The blood-brain barrier (BBB), a selective barrier regulating the active and passive transport of solutes in the extracellular fluid of the central nervous system, prevents the delivery of therapeutics for brain disorders. The BBB is composed of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC), pericytes and astrocytes. Current in vitro BBB models cannot reproduce the human structural complexity of the brain microvasculature, and thus their functions are not enough for drug assessments. In this study, we developed a 3D self-assembled microvascular network formed by BMEC covered by pericytes and astrocyte end feet. It exhibited perfusable microvasculature due to the presence of capillary opening ends on the bottom of the hydrogel. It also demonstrated size-selective permeation of differe

SUBMITTER: Piantino M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9214798 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature