• Bettina Zierfuss, Catherine Larochelle, and Alexandre Prat.
• Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada; Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
• Lancet Neurol. 2024 Jan 1; 23 (1): 9510995-109.

AbstractEstablished by brain endothelial cells, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) regulates the trafficking of molecules, restricts immune cell entry into the CNS, and has an active role in neurovascular coupling (the regulation of cerebral blood flow to support neuronal activity). In the early stages of multiple sclerosis, around the time of symptom onset, inflammatory BBB damage is accompanied by pathogenic immune cell infiltration into the CNS. In the later stages of multiple sclerosis, dysregulation of neurovascular coupling is associated with grey matter atrophy. Genetic and environmental factors associated with multiple sclerosis, including dietary habits, the gut microbiome, and vitamin D concentrations, might contribute directly and indirectly to brain endothelial cell dysfunction. Damage to brain endothelial cells leads to an influx of deleterious molecules into the CNS, accelerating leakage across the BBB. Potential future therapeutic approaches might help to prevent BBB damage (eg, monoclonal antibodies targeting cell adhesion molecules and fibrinogen) and help to repair BBB dysfunction (eg, mesenchymal stromal cells) in people with multiple sclerosis.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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