{"title":"Bridging regional neurovascular unit heterogeneity and cognitive function: a review.","authors":"Amalia Tsintzou, Roseline Poirier, Rania Harati, Almira Kustubayeva, Clemence Disdier, Rifat Hamoudi, Aloïse Mabondzo","doi":"10.1186/s12987-025-00697-y","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical central nervous system interface that tightly regulates the exchange of substances between the blood circulation and the brain parenchyma. The BBB, glia, mural cells and neurons form the neurovascular unit (NVU), which modulates cerebral homeostasis. Traditionally considered a uniform and selective barrier, emerging research has unveiled significant heterogeneity in BBB properties across various brain structures. This review synthesizes current knowledge of the heterogeneity of the NVU elements of different brain structures. The structural and functional differences of the endothelial cells, glial cells, and neurons of different brain structures are pinpointed. Finally, BBB heterogeneity and its link to cognition in physiology and pathology are discussed. Understanding such relationships could help effectively target and cure neurological diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":12321,"journal":{"name":"Fluids and Barriers of the CNS","volume":"22 1","pages":"85"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12366203/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Fluids and Barriers of the CNS","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12987-025-00697-y","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NEUROSCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical central nervous system interface that tightly regulates the exchange of substances between the blood circulation and the brain parenchyma. The BBB, glia, mural cells and neurons form the neurovascular unit (NVU), which modulates cerebral homeostasis. Traditionally considered a uniform and selective barrier, emerging research has unveiled significant heterogeneity in BBB properties across various brain structures. This review synthesizes current knowledge of the heterogeneity of the NVU elements of different brain structures. The structural and functional differences of the endothelial cells, glial cells, and neurons of different brain structures are pinpointed. Finally, BBB heterogeneity and its link to cognition in physiology and pathology are discussed. Understanding such relationships could help effectively target and cure neurological diseases.
期刊介绍:
"Fluids and Barriers of the CNS" is a scholarly open access journal that specializes in the intricate world of the central nervous system's fluids and barriers, which are pivotal for the health and well-being of the human body. This journal is a peer-reviewed platform that welcomes research manuscripts exploring the full spectrum of CNS fluids and barriers, with a particular focus on their roles in both health and disease.
At the heart of this journal's interest is the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a vital fluid that circulates within the brain and spinal cord, playing a multifaceted role in the normal functioning of the brain and in various neurological conditions. The journal delves into the composition, circulation, and absorption of CSF, as well as its relationship with the parenchymal interstitial fluid and the neurovascular unit at the blood-brain barrier (BBB).