Topic: blood–brain barrier

Quercetin is a polyphenolic flavonoid compound with a proven wide range of biological activities including neuroprotective effects in neuronal injury/neurodegenerative disease models which is related with its high antioxidant properties. However, due to its low water-solubility, poor bioavailability, rapid clearance, instability, and inability to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) its potential application for treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disease is limited. Tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) scaffold appears in many drugs’ structures applied in diverse medical applications. Recent re

Brain L-serine is critical for neurodevelopment and is thought to be synthesized solely from glucose. In contrast, we found that the influx of L-serine across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is essential for brain development. We identified the endothelial Slc38a5, previously thought to be a glutamine transporter, as an L-serine transporter expressed at the BBB in early postnatal life. Young Slc38a5 knockout (KO) mice exhibit developmental alterations and a decrease in brain L-serine and D-serine, without changes in serum or liver amino acids. Slc38a5-KO brains exhibit accumulation of neurotoxic