NIH workshop report on the trans-agency blood-brain interface workshop 2016: exploring key challenges and opportunities associated with the blood, brain and their interface

• Published in: Fluids and barriers of the CNS Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 12
• Main Authors: Ochocinska, Margaret J, Zlokovic, Berislav V, Searson, Peter C, Crowder, A Tamara, Kraig, Richard P, Ljubimova, Julia Y, Mainprize, Todd G, Banks, William A, Warren, Ronald Q, Kindzelski, Andrei, Timmer, William, Liu, Christina H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 01.05.2017; BMC
• Subjects: Animals; Biological Transport; Biomarkers; Blood-brain barrier; Blood-Brain Barrier - diagnostic imaging; Blood-Brain Barrier - pathology; Blood-Brain Barrier - physiopathology; Brain cancer; Brain Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Brain Diseases - pathology; Brain Diseases - physiopathology; Brain injury; Brain research; Cancer; Central nervous system; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Drug delivery; Exosomes; Extracellular vesicles; Humans; Immune system; Lymphoma; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Medical prognosis; Nanoparticles; National Institutes of Health (U.S.); Neurodegeneration; Patients; Review; Thrombosis; Translation; Translational Medical Research; Traumatic brain injury; Tumors; Ultrasonic imaging; United States; Traumatic brain injury; Neurodegeneration; Therapeutics; Extracellular vesicles; Delivery; Exosomes; Blood–brain barrier; Cancer
• ISSN: 2045-8118; 2045-8118
• DOI: 10.1186/s12987-017-0061-6

A trans-agency workshop on the blood-brain interface (BBI), sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Cancer Institute and the Combat Casualty Care Research Program at the Department of Defense, was conducted in Bethesda MD on June 7-8, 2016. The workshop was structured into four sessions: (1) blood sciences; (2) exosome therapeutics; (3) next generation in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) models; and (4) BBB delivery and targeting. The first day of the workshop focused on the physiology of the blood and neuro-vascular unit, blood or biofluid-based molecular markers, extracellular vesicles associated with brain injury, and how these entities can be employed to better evaluate injury states and/or deliver therapeutics. The second day of the workshop focused on technical advances in in vitro models, BBB manipulations and nanoparticle-based drug carrier designs, with the goal of improving drug delivery to the central nervous system. The presentations and discussions underscored the role of the BBI in brain injury, as well as the role of the BBB as both a limiting factor and a potential conduit for drug delivery to the brain. At the conclusion of the meeting, the participants discussed challenges and opportunities confronting BBI translational researchers. In particular, the participants recommended using BBI translational research to stimulate advances in diagnostics, as well as targeted delivery approaches for detection and therapy of both brain injury and disease.