Cluster: barriers of the central nervous system

Excerpt

Cutting edge in vivo imaging technologies have become central in advancing our understanding of the structure and function of the central nervous system (CNS) in preclinical research and also in clinical diagnostics. Investigation of fluid movements and immune cell trafficking within the CNS in experimental animals by two-photon microscopy has challenged previous views on the movement of interstitial fluid (ISF) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the CNS [10] as well as the concept of the CNS immune privilege [11]. In the clinic, faster acquisitions and the development of advanced MRI sequences have improved the diagnosis of neurological disorders including analysis of brain barrier function. The intrinsic problem associated with any of the presently applied advanced preclinical and clinical imaging methodologies is that besides their limited resolution detection is limited to the molecular and cellular tracers applied. Thus, the correct interpretation of the video sequences recorded requires intimate knowledge of the anatomy of the CNS during health and its changes in disease and most importantly of the localization of the cellular and acellular barriers within the CNS, which may direct or limit the movement of the molecular or cellular tracers applied and imaged. Neglecting to properly consider the localization of brain barriers and how they may shape CNS functional compartments in the interpretation of advanced preclinical and clinical imaging sequences will invariably lead to misconceptions of CNS function. …