A Dynamic, In Vitro BBB Model to Study the Effects of Varying Levels of Shear Stress

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) consists of a tight network of blood capillaries in the brain that separate the circulatory system from the central nervous system. Its particular properties are based on the dynamic interaction between cerebral endothelial cells and other surrounding cells, especially astrocytes. We have designed and synthesized a three-dimensional scaffold that recapitulates the main hallmarks of the BBB extracellular matrix and serves as a platform to co-culture human brain microvascular endothelial cells and human cortical astrocytes. The scaffold can be exposed to flow, thereby allowing the study of flow-mediated pathways at the BBB.