Blood–Brain Barrier Breakdown: An Emerging Biomarker of Cognitive Impairment in Normal Aging and Dementia

Basharat Hussain; Basharat Hussain; Cheng Fang; Junlei Chang

doi:10.3389/fnins.2021.688090

Frontiers in Neuroscience (Aug 2021)

Blood–Brain Barrier Breakdown: An Emerging Biomarker of Cognitive Impairment in Normal Aging and Dementia

Basharat Hussain,
Basharat Hussain,
Cheng Fang,
Junlei Chang

Affiliations

Basharat Hussain: Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Materials and Cellular Immunomodulation, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
Basharat Hussain: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Cheng Fang: Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Materials and Cellular Immunomodulation, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
Junlei Chang: Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Materials and Cellular Immunomodulation, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.688090
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 15

Abstract

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The blood–brain barrier (BBB) plays a vital role in maintaining the specialized microenvironment of the neural tissue. It separates the peripheral circulatory system from the brain parenchyma while facilitating communication. Alterations in the distinct physiological properties of the BBB lead to BBB breakdown associated with normal aging and various neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we first briefly discuss the aging process, then review the phenotypes and mechanisms of BBB breakdown associated with normal aging that further cause neurodegeneration and cognitive impairments. We also summarize dementia such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) and subsequently discuss the phenotypes and mechanisms of BBB disruption in dementia correlated with cognition decline. Overlaps between AD and VaD are also discussed. Techniques that could identify biomarkers associated with BBB breakdown are briefly summarized. Finally, we concluded that BBB breakdown could be used as an emerging biomarker to assist to diagnose cognitive impairment associated with normal aging and dementia.

Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience

ISSN: 1662-4548 (Print); 1662-453X (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: http://www.frontiersin.org/neuroscience

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Abstract

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