Neuroscience

One of the key research challenges in neuroscience involves study of the blood-brain barrier and discovery of its role in the pathology of diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). The location of the blood-brain barrier makes investigations difficult, however, it is thought to play a crucial role in the pathology of CNS diseases, so novel technologies for effective study of the blood-brain barrier are crucially needed.

Another key consideration is that it can be a challenge to design therapeutics capable of reaching the brain to treat CNS diseases due to the blood-brain barrier’s tight regulation of substances into the brain from blood plasma.

This In Focus will explore:

• Current approaches to studying the blood-brain barrier
• How the blood-brain barrier could be implicated in CNS diseases
• Novel approaches to studying the blood-brain barrier and insights gleaned