Mystery of blood-brain barrier unlocked
By Merritt McKinney
NEW YORK, Jan 07, 2000 (Reuters Health) -- Scientists have identified
the receptor in the brain that regulates the blood-brain barrier, a
group of cells that controls which substances enter the brain.
The discovery may lead to the development of drugs that can cross the
blood-brain barrier as well as a better understanding of diseases like
multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, the study's lead author told
Reuters Health in an interview.
Scientists have known about the blood-brain barrier for more than 100
years, but how it works has been a mystery for the most part, according
to Dr. Alessio Fasano, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine
in Baltimore.
``Everyone knew about the existence of the gate, but no one knew how to
open it,'' Fasano said.
Earlier research has shown that two proteins, zonulin and zot, are
involved in the absorption of substances in the intestine. When these
proteins bond with receptors in the intestine, substances are able to
pass between the cells that make up the intestinal wall. In the new
research, Fasano and his colleagues have discovered that these proteins
play a similar role in the blood-brain barrier when they attach to a
certain brain receptor.
In his comments to Reuters Health, Fasano said that the discovery may
lead to the development of drugs that would trigger the blood-brain
barrier to open up long enough for medication to reach the brain. This
approach would be especially helpful for people with brain cancer who
need to have medicine delivered directly to the brain.
Fasano also noted that studying how the blood-brain barrier normally
works may lead to a better understanding of what happens in illnesses
like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and certain HIV-related
brain infections. All of these diseases involve a faulty blood-brain
barrier, which remains open when it should be closed, he said.
SOURCE: Journal of Neurochemistry 2000;74.
Copyright © 1996-2000 Reuters Limited.
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Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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