Applications – Neural cells – Blood brain barrier

Blood brain barrier

Biorelevant culture of blood-brain barrier cells on Biolaminin substrates

Blood-brain barrier structure and function

Endothelial cells lining small brain capillaries separate the blood from the brain parenchyma. They function like a barrier, the blood-brain barrier (BBB), due to tight junctions and different solute carriers and efflux transporters. The endothelial cells are covered by pericytes embedded in the basement membrane, and pericytes and endothelium are in turn completely covered by a layer of astrocyte endfeet. The brain capillary endothelial cells, pericytes, astrocytes, and associated basement membrane is called the neurovascular unit. There is a great interest for the development of an ideal in vitro model reflecting authentic BBB properties and function, allowing both mechanistic studies and rapid screening of permeable CNS drug candidates.

Biolaminin for each cell type relevant to the neurovascular unit

  • Endothelial cells express laminin 411 and laminin 511 (Hallman, 2005)
  • Pericyte differentiation is regulated by laminin 111 and laminin 211 (Yao, 2014)
  • Astrocytes express laminin isoforms 111, 211 and 521 (Sixt, 2001)

Laminins relevant for BBB integrity

Strickland group (Yao, 2014) demonstrate that laminin 111 and laminin 211 are essential for the maintenance of the BBB integrity by regulating the differentiation of pericytes. In support, Menezes and colleagues (2014) report that mice lacking alfa2 has a defective BBB. In another article, the authors show that laminin 511 plays a key role in the maintenance and repair of BBB after hypoxic injury and inflammation (Kangwantas, 2016).

Publications

Biolaminin Key Advantages

Brain endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes all produce laminins. Laminin 111 and laminin 211 are essential for the maintenance of the BBB integrity. Laminin 511 plays a key role in the maintenance and repair of BBB after hypoxic injury and inflammation.

All our matrices are chemically defined and animal origin-free, which makes them ideal substrates for each level of the scientific process – from basic research to clinical applications.

Our products have consistent composition and quality. This enables minimized variability between experiments.

Numerous scientists have found our products and finally succeeded in their specific stem cell application. The power of full-length laminins incorporated into various cell systems is well documented in scientific articles and clinical trials.

  • Biolaminin 111 LN (LN111)

    Full-length human recombinant laminin-111

    Biolaminin 111 is a full-length laminin-111 protein—an essential extracellular matrix component for many cell types in vivo. It has proven particularly effective in supporting the differentiation of functional hepatic and neural cells in a chemically defined and xeno-free culture.
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  • Biolaminin 211 LN (LN211)

    Full-length human recombinant laminin-211

    Biolaminin 211 supports the growth, survival, and differentiation of a wide range of tissue-specific cell types, including motor neurons, cardiac cells, and skeletal muscle cells.
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  • Biolaminin 511 LN (LN511)

    Full-length human recombinant laminin-511

    Biolaminin 511 is the natural laminin for mouse embryonic stem cells, supporting sustained pluripotency without the need for LIF. It also efficiently promotes the culture of many tissue-specific human cell types.
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  • Biolaminin 521 LN (LN521)

    Full-length human recombinant laminin-521

    Biolaminin 521 LN is a full-length laminin-521 substrate—the natural laminin for pluripotent stem cells, reliably facilitating ESC and iPSC self-renewal in a chemically defined, xeno-free stem cell culture system. It also uniquely promotes the growth and identity of various tissue-specific human cell types.
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