New Podcast Episode. Crossing the Border: Modeling the Blood Brain Barrier

Announcements
Written By Megan Koch

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), formed by brain endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes, is organized into a neurovascular unit that regulates the exchange of proteins between blood circulation and brain parenchyma. Human stem-cell-based models using brain endothelial cells are a powerful tool to investigate how disease-related conditions might affect the blood-brain barrier integrity. However, the cell type composition is critical to faithfully model transcytosis across the blood-brain barrier. Our guests today developed a blood-brain model using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived endothelial cells with brain-specific identity. Using this model they were able to investigate how disease risk factors affect intracellular transport and reveal a new role for ApoE4 in the regulation of iron metabolism at the blood-brain barrier. 

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Guests

  • Roberto Villaseñor, Principal Scientist and Laboratory Head of the Brain Delivery, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center, Switzerland

  • Martina Pigoni, Senior Discovery Scientist, Roche Innovation Center, Switzerland

Supporting Content
Paper link: ApoE4 disrupts intracellular trafficking and iron homeostasis in a reproducible iPSC-based model of human brain endothelial cells, Stem Cell Reports

Megan Koch
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