Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026

Isolating Immune Cells from Mouse Brain and Skull
Published on: July 26, 2024
Meningothelial cells participate in immunological processes in the cerebrospinal fluid
Bin Fan1, Giovanna Bordigari, Josef Flammer
1Department of Biomedicine and Department of Ophthalmology, University Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Meningothelial cells (MECs) form the innermost layer of the meningeal sheath and as such are in direct contact with the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) likely influencing CSF composition. The CSF space is a site of active immunological processes. To investigate an immunological role of MECs, cytokine and chemokine secretion, phagocytotic and pinocytotic activity by MECs was analyzed following stimulation with lipopolysaccharide, phorbol ester or rotenone. Secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 by MECs increased in a dose dependent manner after stimulation concomitant with NF-κB activation. In addition, phagocytotic clearance by MECs was enhanced suggesting an immunological role for MECs in the CSF compartment and pointing to a possible connection to neurodegenerative processes.
Related Concept Videos
Bacterial Meningitis II: Pathophysiology
Viral Meningitis
Cranial and Spinal Meninges
Cranial Meninges
These meningeal layers cover the cranium. The dura mater is the outermost layer of cranial meninges. It is a thick and durable membrane of dense...
Nervous Tissue: Glial Cells
The CNS glial cell includes the astrocytes, the oligodendrocytes, the microglia, and the ependymal cells.
Astrocytes are star-shaped glial cells that interact...
Cerebrospinal Fluid
CSF Production
CSF is produced mainly in the choroid plexus, a network of capillaries and ependymal cells located within the ventricular system of the brain.
The Blood-brain Barrier

