Bioengineering of a human physiologically relevant microfluidic blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier model

Abstract

The human blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier (hBCSFB) plays a crucial role in regulating brain interstitial fluid homeostasis, and disruption of the hBCSFB is associated with various neurological diseases. Generation of a BCSFB model with human physiologically relevant structural and functional features is crucial to reveal the cellular and molecular basis of these diseases and discover novel neurologic therapeutic agents. Unfortunately, thus far, few humanized BCSFB models are available for basic and preclinical research. Here, we demonstrate a bioengineered hBCSFB model on a microfluidic device constructed by co-culturing primary human choroid plexus epithelial cells (hCPECs) and human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs) on the two sides of a porous membrane. The model reconstitutes tight junctions of the hBCSFB and displays a physiologically relevant molecular permeability. Using this model, we further generate a neuropathological model of the hBCSFB under neuroinflammation. Overall, we expect that this work will offer a high-fidelity hBCSFB model for studying neuroinflammation-related diseases.