Bridging regional neurovascular unit heterogeneity and cognitive function: a review
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 homeostas...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Fluids and Barriers of the CNS |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12987-025-00697-y |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849225987806461952 |
|---|---|
| author | Amalia Tsintzou Roseline Poirier Rania Harati Almira Kustubayeva Clemence Disdier Rifat Hamoudi Aloïse Mabondzo |
| author_facet | Amalia Tsintzou Roseline Poirier Rania Harati Almira Kustubayeva Clemence Disdier Rifat Hamoudi Aloïse Mabondzo |
| author_sort | Amalia Tsintzou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-656136c5290047faaa640bbe3aadc2af |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-8118 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fluids and Barriers of the CNS |
| spelling | doaj-art-656136c5290047faaa640bbe3aadc2af2025-08-24T11:46:25ZengBMCFluids and Barriers of the CNS2045-81182025-08-0122111310.1186/s12987-025-00697-yBridging regional neurovascular unit heterogeneity and cognitive function: a reviewAmalia Tsintzou0Roseline Poirier1Rania Harati2Almira Kustubayeva3Clemence Disdier4Rifat Hamoudi5Aloïse Mabondzo6Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Laboratoire d’Etude de l’Unité Neurovasculaire & Innovation Thérapeutique (LENIT)Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay (NeuroPSI)Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of SharjahDepartment of Biophysics, Biomedicine, and Neuroscience, Brain Institute, Al Farabi Kazakh National UniversityUniversité Paris-Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Laboratoire d’Etude de l’Unité Neurovasculaire & Innovation Thérapeutique (LENIT)Research Institute for Medical and Health Science, College of Medicine, University of SharjahUniversité Paris-Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Laboratoire d’Etude de l’Unité Neurovasculaire & Innovation Thérapeutique (LENIT)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.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12987-025-00697-yNeurovascular unit heterogeneityAstrocytesMicrogliaPericytesNeuronsCognition |
| spellingShingle | Amalia Tsintzou Roseline Poirier Rania Harati Almira Kustubayeva Clemence Disdier Rifat Hamoudi Aloïse Mabondzo Bridging regional neurovascular unit heterogeneity and cognitive function: a review Fluids and Barriers of the CNS Neurovascular unit heterogeneity Astrocytes Microglia Pericytes Neurons Cognition |
| title | Bridging regional neurovascular unit heterogeneity and cognitive function: a review |
| title_full | Bridging regional neurovascular unit heterogeneity and cognitive function: a review |
| title_fullStr | Bridging regional neurovascular unit heterogeneity and cognitive function: a review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bridging regional neurovascular unit heterogeneity and cognitive function: a review |
| title_short | Bridging regional neurovascular unit heterogeneity and cognitive function: a review |
| title_sort | bridging regional neurovascular unit heterogeneity and cognitive function a review |
| topic | Neurovascular unit heterogeneity Astrocytes Microglia Pericytes Neurons Cognition |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12987-025-00697-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT amaliatsintzou bridgingregionalneurovascularunitheterogeneityandcognitivefunctionareview AT roselinepoirier bridgingregionalneurovascularunitheterogeneityandcognitivefunctionareview AT raniaharati bridgingregionalneurovascularunitheterogeneityandcognitivefunctionareview AT almirakustubayeva bridgingregionalneurovascularunitheterogeneityandcognitivefunctionareview AT clemencedisdier bridgingregionalneurovascularunitheterogeneityandcognitivefunctionareview AT rifathamoudi bridgingregionalneurovascularunitheterogeneityandcognitivefunctionareview AT aloisemabondzo bridgingregionalneurovascularunitheterogeneityandcognitivefunctionareview |