Ryan Camire and Stephanie Brule co-author article in ‘Neuroscience’
Ryan Camire (Nursing ’15) and Stephanie Brule (Neuroscience ’14) served as co-authors with Colin Willis, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology, on an article that was published online on July 8, 2013. “Partial recovery of the damaged rat blood–brain barrier is mediated by adherens junction complexes, extracellular matrix remodeling and macrophage infiltration following focal astrocyte loss,” will soon be released in print in Neuroscience.
The article describes research that demonstrates that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is not a static barrier; but rather, it is highly dynamic in response to injury. The research also demonstrates that complex interactions occur between various cell types and the extracellular matrix surrounding the leaky blood vessels to form a temporary barrier.
Studies are now looking at intracellular signaling mechanisms that result in the opening and closing of the BBB. These studies are important to the understanding of demyelinating disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica, as well as stoke and traumatic brain injury.