Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder
Published on: May 2, 2025
Involvement of ROS in BBB dysfunction
Pamela B L Pun1, Jia Lu, Shabbir Moochhala
1Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore.
Abstract:
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) forms a protective barrier around the brain, with the important function of maintaining brain homeostasis. Pathways thought to initiate BBB dysfunction include the kinin system, excitotoxicity, neutrophil recruitment, mitochondrial alterations and macrophage/microglial activation, all of which converge on the same point--reactive oxygen species (ROS). Interestingly, ROS also provide a common trigger for many downstream pathways that directly mediate BBB compromise such as oxidative damage, tight junction (TJ) modification and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) activation. These observations suggest that ROS are key mediators of BBB breakdown and implicate antioxidants as potential neuroprotectants in conditions like stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI). This review explores some of the pathways both upstream and downstream of ROS that have been implicated in increased BBB permeability and discusses the role of ROS and antioxidants in neuropathology.
Related Concept Videos
Cell Motility through Blebbing
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
RBD is significantly associated with...
Receptor Downregulation in MVBs
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive EGFR activation may...
Small GTPases - Ras and Rho
Three regulatory proteins control their activity:
Assembly of Signaling Complexes
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...
