Role of the blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer's disease

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), which isolates the brain from the whole body, restricts exchanges between the brain and the peripheral compartments. Several studies highlight the importance of this barrier in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). This pathology is characterized by an abnormal accumulation and aggregation of Aβ peptides which contribute to the neurodegenerative processes and the BBB seems to play a key role for the brain Aβ peptides metabolism. This review focuses on recent data demonstrating the important role of the BBB in AD, suggesting that this barrier is a possible new therapeutic target in this disease.