Experiments 2024
Jannick Prent酶
High-Resolution Blood-Brain-Barrier Structures by Claudin-Occludin Integration into Large Nanodiscs
Associate professor
University of Copenhagen
The blood-brain-barrier (BBB) is essential in regulating access to the central nervous system (CNS) and brain and consequently its proper function is disrupted in a wide range of pathological conditions such as stroke, diabetes, seizures, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson鈥檚 disease and Alzheimer disease. In this project we will use cutting-edge cryo-EM techniques coupled with large nanodiscs to develop high-resolution models of the BBB constituent proteins, Claudin and Occludin, thus enabling BBB-specific drug discovery and inform novel ways for CNS-active drugs to cross the BBB. Additionally, these models could be adapted to tissues outside the CNS by exchanging the relevant isoforms of Claudin proteins.
