Blood-brain barrier

Recent articles

DNA helix.

Advances in genetic medicine took center stage at INSAR

The president of the Autism Science Foundation and parent of a child with profound autism reflects on how advances in the treatment of rare gene variants bring hope to many families.

By Alison Singer
5 May 2026 | 4 min read
Research image of fibroblasts creating a seal that separates the blood vessels in the choroid plexus from the rest of the brain.

Newly identified barrier cells seal off choroid plexus from CSF, rest of brain

A long-overlooked layer of fibroblasts exists inside the choroid plexus of mice and humans, adding complexity to the area’s compartmentalization.

By Claudia López Lloreda
3 April 2026 | 4 min read
Research image of a mouse brain with the same spot shown three times in different colors to show different neurochemical concentrations.

New dopamine sensor powers three-color imaging in live animals

The tool leverages a previously unused segment of the color spectrum to track the neurotransmitter and can be used with two additional sensors to monitor other neurochemicals at different wavelengths.

By Diana Kwon
25 July 2025 | 4 min read
Astrocytes in a mouse brain.

Unexpected astrocyte gene flips image of brain’s ‘stalwart sentinels’

The genetic marker upends the accepted orientation of non-star-like astrocytes in the glia limitans superficialis.

By Lauren Schenkman
28 March 2025 | 5 min read
Illustration of a lab with a smoking crater in the middle of the floor.

The Transmitter’s favorite features of 2024

Our chosen stories include tales about research misconduct in the lab, a neuroscientist working at the end of the world, and the passing of neuroanatomy’s “great-grandfather,” Harvey Karten.

By The Transmitter
23 December 2024 | 2 min read
Research image of mouse cells.

Immune cell interlopers breach—and repair—brain barrier in mice

The choroid plexus, the protective network of blood vessels and epithelial cells that line the brain’s ventricles, recruits neutrophils and macrophages during inflammation, a new study shows.

By Claudia López Lloreda
20 November 2024 | 6 min read
Maiken Nedergaard, Britta Engelhardt and Christer Betsholtz on a floating rock island with university facilities and abstract shapes.

Maiken Nedergaard’s power of disruption

The award-winning researcher’s discoveries have changed the way we think about the brain; that’s exactly what her critics dislike.

By Emily Sohn
26 February 2024 | 24 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Conceptual image of disjointed communication

‘Slightly unhinged’ federal autism meeting portends unclear research priorities

The meeting last week sparked concerns about the latest Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee’s ability to perform its core function: developing a strategy to support autism research.

By Daisy Yuhas
7 May 2026 | 4 min read

Ehud Ahissar offers a new kind of dualism for neuroscience

He explains how “perceptual dualism” can account for the way we communicate via digital symbols and perceive the world via analog brain processes.

By Paul Middlebrooks
6 May 2026 | 102 min listen

Microglia in hypothalamus help kick-start puberty

In a “surprise” role, the cells regulate the neurons that produce gonadotropin-releasing hormone.

By Helena Kudiabor
6 May 2026 | 0 min watch