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Updated: Sep 21, 2025
Generation of an Immortalized Murine Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell Line as an In Vitro Blood Brain Barrier Model
Published on: August 29, 2012
Immortalized human choroid plexus endothelial cells enable an advanced endothelial-epithelial two-cell type in vitro
Walter Muranyi1,2, Christian Schwerk1,2, Rosanna Herold1,2
1Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
Insights
Researchers immortalized human choroid plexus endothelial cells (iHCPEnC) using hTERT. These cells maintain key endothelial features and form an enhanced in vitro barrier model, aiding choroid plexus research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- The choroid plexus (CP) is a vital CNS structure with an under-researched fenestrated endothelium.
- Generating an immortalized CP endothelial cell line is crucial for studying its function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create an immortalized human CP endothelial cell line (iHCPEnC) that retains primary cell characteristics.
- To establish an in vitro model for investigating CP endothelial and epithelial cell interactions.
Main Methods:
- Primary human CP endothelial cells (HCPEnC) were transduced with human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) to create iHCPEnC.
- iHCPEnC were characterized for growth, morphology, marker expression, and barrier function.
- An in vitro model was developed using iHCPEnC and human epithelial CP papilloma cells.
Main Results:
- Immortalized iHCPEnC exhibited contact inhibition, capillary-like tube formation, and expressed pan-endothelial markers.
- iHCPEnC displayed characteristic plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein structures.
- The in vitro model with iHCPEnC demonstrated enhanced barrier function.
Conclusions:
- The iHCPEnC cell line is a valuable tool for studying choroid plexus endothelial cell biology.
- This model facilitates research into endothelial-epithelial interplay within the CP.
- Understanding CP endothelial function is critical for CNS research.
Abstract:
The choroid plexus (CP) is a highly vascularized structure containing endothelial and epithelial cells located in the ventricular system of the central nervous system (CNS). The role of the fenestrated CP endothelium is under-researched and requires the generation of an immortalized CP endothelial cell line with preserved features. Transduction of primary human CP endothelial cells (HCPEnC) with the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) resulted in immortalized HCPEnC (iHCPEnC), which grew as monolayer with contact inhibition, formed capillary-like tubes in Matrigel, and showed no colony growth in soft agar. iHCPEnC expressed pan-endothelial markers and presented characteristic plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein-containing structures. Cultivation of iHCPEnC and human epithelial CP papilloma (HIBCPP) cells on opposite sides of cell culture filter inserts generated an in vitro model with a consistently enhanced barrier function specifically by iHCPEnC. Overall, iHCPEnC present a tool that will contribute to the understanding of CP organ functions, especially endothelial-epithelial interplay.
