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Blood-Brain Barrier

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Encyclopedia of Cancer

Definition

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is formed by brain capillary endothelial cells. The BBB is composed of cerebral endothelial cells, astrocyte end-feet, and pericytes and regulates the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS).

Characteristics

The BBB was identified by Paul Ehrlich in 1885 (Hawkins and Davis 2005). However, the biology of the BBB, its importance in health and disease, and its anatomical definition were mostly revealed over the last 30 years. The BBB is a well-differentiated network of brain microvessels that maintains the homeostasis of the brain microenvironment. The BBB regulates the interface between the peripheral circulation and the CNS. It restricts the nonspecific flux of ions, proteins, and other substances into the CNS environment, thereby protecting neurons from harmful components of the blood and also allows the uptake of essential molecules from the blood to the CNS. The BBB is a selective diffusion barrier at the level of the cerebral...

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References

  • de Vries HE, Kuiper J, de Boer AG et al (1997) The blood–brain barrier in neuroinflammatory diseases. Pharmacol Rev 49:143–155

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See Also

  • (2012) Adhesion molecules. In: Schwab M (ed) Encyclopedia of cancer, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, p 66. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_96

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Experimental Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Institutes of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Shalom Avraham, Tzong-Shi Lu & Hava Karsenty Avraham

Authors
  1. Shalom Avraham
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  2. Tzong-Shi Lu
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  3. Hava Karsenty Avraham
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shalom Avraham .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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Avraham, S., Lu, TS., Avraham, H.K. (2014). Blood-Brain Barrier. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_669-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_669-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

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