CNS barriers
- Submission status
- Open
- Submission deadline
The blood vessels that vascularize the central nervous system are equipped with specialized cells that regulate the movement of ions, molecules, pathogens, and immune cells between the blood and the tissues of the central nervous system (CNS). These cells help to form the CNS barriers, including the blood-brain barrier, the blood-spinal cord barrier, and the blood-cerebrospinal barrier, among others. Dysfunction of these CNS barriers has been implicated in a range of neurological pathologies, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, brain tumors, bacterial infections, and neuroinflammatory disorders. In addition to excluding toxins and pathogens, the BBB also prevents most drugs from entering the brain, posing a challenge for neurotherapeutic development.
This Collection welcomes original research on the barriers of the CNS, including their structure, function, and roles in neurological health and disease.
