Blood Brain Barrier Models
Many tissues are composed of multiple cell types that are often organized within well-defined layers. Examples of such tissues are the human skin, the cornea or the blood-brain-barrier. Classic 2D cell culture systems are often not suitable for mimicking the complex structure of these tissues. With the RAFTTM 3D Cell Culture System, spatially defined organotypic blood-brain-barrier models mimicking epithelial and endothelial tissues can be made simply.
Human Brain Endothelium
The blood-brain barrier is formed by microvascular endothelial cells, pericytes and astrocytes. It prevents the entry of most large hydrophilic molecules and many potentially harmful toxins from the blood into the brain. On the other hand, it also prevents the entry of many therapeutic agents into the brain. Considerable efforts are made to develop therapeutics that can cross the blood-brain-barrier and these efforts can be supported by high-value 3D in vitro blood-brain-barrier models. Below see an example of a 3D blood-brain barrier model developed by researchers based on the RAFTTM System.