Despite the fact that the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier occurs in many brain diseases and is an important factor in mortality, the molecular mechanisms involved in the breakdown are not completely understood. In The Blood-Brain Barrier: Biology and Research Protocols, leading researchers and clinician-scientists present state-of-the-art morphologic, permeability, transport, in vitro, and molecular techniques to study the workings of the blood-brain barrier in health and disease. Described in step-by-step detail, each proven method includes an explanation of the theoretical basis of the method, a discussion of its advantages and limitations, notes on avoiding pitfalls, and examples of results obtained using the technique. At the cutting edge are techniques to explore the genomics and proteomics of brain endothelium.
Comprehensive and state-of-the-art, The Blood-Brain Barrier: Biology and Research Protocols offers pharmacologists, physiologists, neuroscientists, neurosurgeons, and neurologists an array of powerful tools to isolate undiscovered molecules, deepen our understanding of their role in health and disease, and identify targets for future gene therapy and therapeutic intervention.