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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
10:20
Generation of a Human iPSC-Based Blood-Brain Barrier Chip
Published on: March 2, 2020
Blood-brain barrier genomics
1Department of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA. wpardridge@mednet.ucla.edu
Stroke
|January 31, 2007
Summary
Blood-brain barrier (BBB) genomics isolates brain capillaries to identify unique genes. This approach enables functional analysis of BBB-enriched genes, advancing our understanding of brain microvasculature.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is crucial for brain homeostasis.
- Identifying BBB-specific genes is challenging due to the low endothelial volume in the brain.
- Existing methods are insufficient for comprehensive BBB gene discovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate technologies for blood-brain barrier (BBB) genomics.
- To enable the identification and functional analysis of genes selectively expressed at the BBB.
- To expand knowledge of the brain microvasculature.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of brain capillaries and immediate purification of capillary-derived RNA.
- Generation of partial complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques like subtractive suppressive hybridization.
- Cloning of full-length cDNAs and subsequent functional analysis of identified genes.
Main Results:
- Successful isolation of capillary-derived RNA from brain tissue.
- Creation of cDNA libraries enriched for BBB-specific genes.
- Establishment of a foundation for full-length cDNA cloning and gene function studies.
Conclusions:
- BBB genomics technologies provide a powerful new avenue for discovering brain microvasculature genes.
- This approach overcomes limitations of whole-brain gene expression analysis.
- Advances in BBB genomics will significantly enhance our understanding of brain function and disease.
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