{"id":53364,"date":"2026-02-04T10:33:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T15:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/materials\/?post_type=news&p=53364"},"modified":"2026-02-06T11:04:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T16:04:35","slug":"cracking-the-code-to-the-blood-brain-barrier","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/materials\/news\/cracking-the-code-to-the-blood-brain-barrier\/","title":{"rendered":"Cracking the Code to the Blood-Brain Barrier"},"content":{"rendered":"

Peter Searson<\/span><\/a>, the Joseph R. and Lynn C. Reynolds Professor of\u202fMaterials Science and Engineering<\/a><\/span>, and core researcher in the\u202fInstitute for NanoBioTechnology, is engaged in unravelling the complex mechanisms by which Alzheimer\u2019s disease and other diseases of the brain disrupt the blood-brain barrier.<\/p>\n

Searson\u2019s lab is primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health, and in response to a new NIH initiative emphasizing human models that was started in the spring of 2025, his lab\u202fis developing\u202ftissue-engineered models to study the physiological and pathological responses to chemical, physical, and biological changes associated with neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, aging, and infectious diseases.<\/p>\n

By using stem-cell technology, Searson\u2019s lab is incorporating human cells into replicas of the small blood vessels in the human brain that form the blood-brain barrier, the complex interface that allows or blocks the passage of substances into the brain.<\/p>\n

\n

\"3D<\/p>\n

3D Digital of the Detailed Cross-section of the Blood-Brain Barrier<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe blood-brain barrier is a security system that enables the brain to function in a tightly controlled biochemical environment,\u201d Searson says. \u201cBy\u202fselectively transporting nutrients and other key molecules into the brain,\u202fthe blood-brain barrier protects the brain,\u202fpreventing entry of toxins, pathogens, and other molecules that could\u202fdisrupt normal signaling.\u202fThis specialized barrier is essential for overall brain health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since blood-brain barrier function is critical for normal brain function, disruption can have a\u202fprofound effect on brain health.\u202f\u202fDuring life, the\u202fblood-brain barrier\u202fis subjected to perturbations and stressors from a wide range of sources, which can promote brain health or can lead to brain pathologies. Examples of stressors include hypertension, poor blood flow, inflammation, and depression.<\/p>\n

In mild cases of disruption, molecules from blood in circulation can leak into the brain. This could be reversible and may be localized to specific regions of the brain, but in more severe cases, both molecules and cells in blood can enter the brain, resulting in microbleeds and hemorrhage.<\/p>\n

Disruption of the blood-brain barrier is increasingly recognized as a major contributor to a wide range of\u202fseemingly unrelated\u202fdiseases, including Alzheimer\u2019s disease, obesity, chronic pain, traumatic brain injury, and multiple sclerosis.\u202f\u202fSince the blood-brain barrier regulates a variety of processes, there are many mechanisms of disruption that can affect the brain in different ways.\u202f\u202fFurthermore, the ability of the blood-brain barrier to repair itself is dependent on the mechanism and\u202fmagnitude\u202fof dysfunction.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn many diseases of the brain, there are multiple risk factors that can drive different mechanisms of dysfunction.\u202fThat\u2019s\u202fone of the things\u202fwe\u2019re\u202ftrying to untangle. How does a specific risk factor affect the blood-brain barrier?\u201d Searson says.<\/p>\n

To disentangle how the blood-brain barrier becomes disrupted and how to fix it, Searson\u2019s lab is using its models to study blood-brain barrier injury and healing and how this is relevant to human disease. They can also genetically engineer the cells to harbor mutations associated with brain diseases, allowing them to study treatments.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy\u202fobserving\u202fthese\u202fmicrovessels\u202fon a microscopic level, we can see how they can mimic responses in the human brain.\u202f\u202fBy replicating the effects of stressors such as inflammation or vessel narrowing, we are deconvoluting how stress causes blood-brain barrier disruption,\u201d Searson says.<\/p>\n

Normal aging also results in low levels of blood-brain barrier disruption. Searson and his lab are studying how age-related changes in the concentration of blood proteins affect the blood-brain barrier.\u202f\u202fThis work could lead to targeted therapies to slow vascular aging and prevent age-related neurodegenerative diseases.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause the blood-brain barrier is so effective, apart from a few very small molecules, it\u2019s almost impossible to get drugs into the brain,\u201d Searson says. \u201cA major challenge in treating diseases of the brain is getting drugs across the blood-brain barrier.\u201d<\/p>\n

Searson participated in the\u202fAdult Brain Tumor Consortium\u2019s Workshop to help\u202fidentify\u202fbetter strategies to assess the ability of candidate drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier.\u202fThe models\u202fdeveloped in the Searson Lab were\u202fbeing used\u202fby the consortium to test strategies for delivering drugs or genes to the brain via the blood-brain barrier.<\/p>\n

Like many research efforts across the country, Searson\u2019s work faces growing uncertainty around future funding. As federal budgets tighten and priorities shift,\u202fmaintaining\u202fsupport for long-term, foundational research, especially studies that rely on technologies like these human-based models, have become more precarious. Searson and those in his lab hope they can continue the life-saving work that is advancing the ability to deliver drugs across the blood-brain barrier to help people live longer and healthier lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-53364","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","news_categories-research"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCracking the Code to the Blood-Brain Barrier - Department of Materials Science & Engineering<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/engineering.jhu.edu\/materials\/news\/cracking-the-code-to-the-blood-brain-barrier\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cracking the Code to the Blood-Brain Barrier - Department of Materials Science & Engineering\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Peter Searson, the Joseph R. and Lynn C. 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