Isolation and Imaging of Microvessels From Brain Tissue

Proper brain function depends on the integrity of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which is formed by a specialized network of microvessels in the brain. Reliable isolation of these microvessels is crucial for studying BBB composition and function in both health and disease. Here, we describe a protoc...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Josephine Buff, Carolyn Bertozzi, Tony Wyss-Coray, Sophia Shi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Bio-protocol LLC 2025-08-01
Series:Bio-Protocol
Online Access:https://bio-protocol.org/en/bpdetail?id=5410&type=0
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Summary:Proper brain function depends on the integrity of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which is formed by a specialized network of microvessels in the brain. Reliable isolation of these microvessels is crucial for studying BBB composition and function in both health and disease. Here, we describe a protocol for the mechanical dissociation and density-based separation of microvessels from fresh or frozen human and murine brain tissue. The isolated microvessels retain their molecular integrity and are compatible with downstream applications, including fluorescence imaging and biochemical analyses. This method enables direct comparisons across species and disease states using the same workflow, facilitating translational research on BBB biology.
ISSN:2331-8325