Blood-brain barrier

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history

The blood-brain barrier or BBB is a selective permeable barrier composed of endothelium that separates central nervous system from circulating blood.

Circumventricular organs[edit | edit source]

Some parts of the brain sit outside the blood brain barrier. Collectively, they are known as the circumventricular organs and include sensory and secretory organs important for neuroendocrine function including the pineal gland and the posterior pituitary gland. The olfactory bulb also sits outside the blood brain barrier.

Diseases[edit | edit source]

Several diseases have been associated with a weakened blood-brain barrier including epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.

Drugs[edit | edit source]

Most drugs are unable to cross the Blood-Brain-Barrier, which restricts treatment for certain conditions.[citation needed]

Notable research[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notable Research[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Greene, Chris; Connolly, Ruairi; Brennan, Declan; Laffan, Aoife; O’Keeffe, Eoin; Zaporojan, Lilia; O’Callaghan, Jeffrey; Thomson, Bennett; Connolly, Emma; Argue, Ruth; Martin-Loeches, Ignacio (February 22, 2024). "Blood–brain barrier disruption and sustained systemic inflammation in individuals with long COVID-associated cognitive impairment". Nature Neuroscience: 1–12. doi:10.1038/s41593-024-01576-9. ISSN 1546-1726.