Cellular and signalling mechanisms that regulate the blood-brain barrier.

Molecular regulators and cell interactions make the blood-brain barrier a dynamic, highly selective interface crucial for CNS health and disease.

• Why it matters: Understanding BBB mechanisms is vital because its dysfunction contributes to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, and it limits drug delivery to the brain.
• What they did: The review discusses features of CNS capillary endothelial cells, their interactions with pericytes, astrocytes, and the extracellular matrix, and examines signalling pathways that regulate BBB formation and maintenance.
• The result: Insights into BBB biology are advancing therapeutic strategies, with emerging research on vascular heterogeneity and new technologies enabling better targeting of brain disorders.