Blood-Brain Barrier Modelling

Blood-Brain Barrier Modelling designates the development and application of in vitro cellular systems, computational models, or ex vivo preparations recapitulating the selective permeability properties of the cerebrovascular endothelium, enabling prediction of CNS drug penetration, screening of BBB-penetrant candidates, and mechanistic understanding of transport processes without requiring in vivo studies.

The pharmaceutical industry employs blood-brain barrier models throughout CNS drug discovery and development to guide compound selection and formulation strategies. Traditional transwell cell culture systems using brain endothelial cells provide basic permeability screening. Improved models incorporating astrocytes, pericytes, and fluid flow better recapitulate in vivo barrier properties. Organ-on-chip microfluidic systems combining multiple cell types under physiological shear stress achieve greater biological relevance. Computational models including physiologically based pharmacokinetic approaches predict CNS exposure from molecular properties. As human iPSC-derived brain endothelial cells improve model species relevance, blood-brain barrier modelling continues advancing prediction accuracy for CNS drug development.