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Figure 1 | Fluids and Barriers of the CNS

Figure 1

From: Modeling the blood–brain barrier using stem cell sources

Figure 1

Schematic representation of the developmental and adult BBB. Embryonic blood vessels invade the neural tube by the migration of the tip cell towards the neuroepithelium. Newly forming blood vessels actively recruit pericytes (PC) that ensure the stabilization of the new structure and synthesize an embryonic basement membrane (BM). In parallel to cerebral angiogenesis, neural progenitor cells (NPCs) originating from the neuroepithelium start to migrate towards the upper layers of the cerebral cortex using radial glia (RG) as a guidance structure. During their migration, these NPCs begin differentiation into neuroblasts (NB) and maturing neurons (MN). In contrast to the developmental BBB, the adult BBB constitutes a more elaborate structure. The cerebral vasculature shares a BM with PCs. The BM is more complex and is surrounded by an external tunica, the glia limitans (GL). The BM and the GL are separated by a perivascular space. On the outer side of the GL, blood vessels are highly invested by astrocyte end-feet processes (AC) and surrounded by neurons and microglial cells (MG). Neurons may directly and indirectly interact with the cerebral vasculature.

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