Studies on an Immortalized Brain Endothelial Cell Line: Characterization, Permeability and Transport

A great deal of information is now available concerning the structure and function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vivo. However, for understanding of molecular, membrane and cellular mechanisms, it is necesary to work on preparations where it is possible to apply the modern techniques of cell biology and physiology at the single cell level. For this reason, several in vitro preparations of brain endothelium have been developed, with the long-term aim of establishing an isolated blood-brain barrier model.