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Molecular biology of the blood-brain barrier

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Abstract

Molecular biological investigations into the brain capillary endothelium and microvasculature, which forms the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vivo, can provide the platform for the discovery and the molecular cloning of BBB-specific genes. Novel BBB genes can be discovered with either a genomics-based approach such as subtractive suppressive hybridization, or a proteomics approach using subtractive antibody expression cloning. BBB-specific genes are disproportionately transporter genes encoding either for carrier-mediated transporters, active efflux transporters, or receptor-mediated transporters. The discovery of new BBB transporters can lead to the development of new approaches to brain drug delivery using endogenous brain endothelial transporters.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, UCLA, Warren Hall 13-164, 900 Veteran Avenue, 90024, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    William M. Pardridge

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  1. William M. Pardridge
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Correspondence to William M. Pardridge.

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Pardridge, W.M. Molecular biology of the blood-brain barrier. Mol Biotechnol 30, 57–69 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1385/MB:30:1:057

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