Blood Brain Barrier

Blood-Brain Barrier: The Importance of Brain-Blood Separation

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) ​​is a physiological mechanism that separates the central nervous system (CNS) from the circulatory system. The BBB plays an important role in protecting the brain from potentially harmful substances that may be in the blood.

The BBB consists of a network of capillaries that are surrounded by special cells called astrocytes. Astrocytes form tight junctions between capillaries, which prevents many molecules from the blood from passing freely into the brain. Thus, the BBB acts as a filter, allowing only those substances that are necessary for the normal functioning of the brain to pass through.

However, there are some substances that can penetrate the BBB. For example, some drugs that are needed to treat diseases of the central nervous system can cross the BBB. Also, some viruses and bacteria can penetrate the BBB and cause infections in the brain.

Dysfunction of the BBB can lead to various CNS diseases. For example, in some diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, immune cells can cross the BBB and attack the brain, causing inflammation and damage to nerve cells. Also, disruption of the BBB function can lead to an imbalance of substances in the brain, which can cause various mental and neurological diseases.

Research on the BBB continues, and scientists are constantly finding new ways to improve BBB function. For example, some studies have shown that exercise can improve BBB function. Also, some drugs can improve the permeability of the BBB and improve the delivery of drugs to the brain in the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system.

Thus, the blood-brain barrier is an important mechanism that protects the brain from harmful substances in the blood. Dysfunction of the BBB can lead to various CNS diseases, so research in this area is very important for the development of new methods for the treatment and prevention of CNS diseases.

The blood-brain barrier is the body's main defense mechanism against the penetration of foreign agents. This concept was first introduced into use in 1932 by the French histologist Charles Sherrington, who subsequently used this name, but at the same time they proposed a shorter name, encephaloma. According to the periodization proposed by the morphologist, changes were primarily noted in the brain capillaries, as a result of which Charles Sherrington called this type of blood-brain barrier capillary. In the next type, determined morphologically by location, it was noted that the main site of formation was the brainstem and medulla oblongata. Since the peculiarity of this barrier was constant formation and destruction (70%), it was designated as a stem barrier. Since there is a parallel division of the type of barrier according to localization, they are divided into anterior (transition of the shell to the ventral