DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULAR-MODELS OF THE BLOOD-BRAIN-BARRIER

The blood-brain barrier completely isolates the brain from the blood s tream. This barrier is created by a specific differentiation of the en dothelial cells. Such endothelial cells from bovine and mt brain micro vessels are purified and cultivated to obtain in vitro models of the b lood-brain barrier expressing the functional multidrug resistance prot ein P-glycoprotein. Their principal limitations are the rapid loss of differentiation in culture and poor reproducibility between cell isola tes. Established cell lines allow some of the culture limitations to b e eliminated and reproducible results to be obtained. However, immorta lization is associated with the disappearance of some differentiated c haracteristics.