# The blood–brain barrier in systemic infection and inflammation

“The blood–brain barrier in systemic infection and inflammation” (2021), by Ian Galea. Neuroscience research paper. Original abstract below, unchanged. A free PDF is available.

- Authors: Ian Galea
- Published: September 30, 2021
- Field: Neuroscience
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41423-021-00757-x
- Free PDF: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41423-021-00757-x.pdf

## Abstract

The vascular blood-brain barrier is a highly regulated interface between the blood and brain. Its primary function is to protect central neurons while signaling the presence of systemic inflammation and infection to the brain to enable a protective sickness behavior response. With increasing degrees and duration of systemic inflammation, the vascular blood-brain barrier becomes more permeable to solutes, undergoes an increase in lymphocyte trafficking, and is infiltrated by innate immune cells; endothelial cell damage may occasionally occur. Perturbation of neuronal function results in the clinical features of encephalopathy. Here, the molecular and cellular anatomy of the vascular blood-brain barrier is reviewed, first in a healthy context and second in a systemic inflammatory context. Distinct from the molecular and cellular mediators of the blood-brain barrier's response to inflammation, several moderators influence the direction and magnitude at genetic, system, cellular and molecular levels. These include sex, genetic background, age, pre-existing brain pathology, systemic comorbidity, and gut dysbiosis. Further progress is required to define and measure mediators and moderators of the blood-brain barrier's response to systemic inflammation in order to explain the heterogeneity observed in animal and human studies.

Canonical page: https://nerdi.pages.dev/paper/W3202683854
Read three real papers a day in Nerdi (iPhone): https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6813826387?pt=128757794&ct=web-paper&mt=8