Gateways to the Brain: Vascular-glial-immune Network in Health and Disease

The brain is one of our body's most critical organs, and its protection and homeostasis are conferred by biological barriers, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This barrier regulates the exchange of compounds between blood and brain parenchyma by protecting the brain against pathogens and exogenous compounds and drugs. Lately, other barriers with different features and functions have been highlighted, including blood-cerebrospinal fluid (B-CSF). Nowadays, we know that these gateways allow the selective entry of nutrients, cells, or their clearance, but how the networking between neurons and glial cells with barrier cells occurs is still under investigation in healthy brains and the disease context. For many years, the brain was considered a deprived organ of the immune system, although T and B cells can be found in the central nervous system (CNS). Besides, the presence and functions of T and B cells have been recently reported, but how the immune system could be used to treat brain disorders still needs to be understood. However, more is required to know how the BBB and the glymphatic system work, especially in the disease context.

Moreover, the Gut-brain axis has been exploited. Nowadays, it is known that gut microbiota play a vital role in the maintenance and protection of the BBB. Therefore, understanding brain networking will be critical for finding new therapeutic targets, and developing effective treatments is exceptionally urgent to treat brain disorders.

In this context, we welcome original research, review and mini-review articles with a focus on, but not limited to, the following topics:

1. BBB in healthy and disease
2. Brain-immunology axis
3. Glymphatic system
4. Gut-brain axis
5. Brain disorders
6. New advances in brain therapies and clinical diagnostics