Blood-brain barrier receptor-mediated transcytosis

Descamps L, Dehouck M-P, Torpier G, Cecchelli R. 1996. Receptor-mediated transcytosis of transferrin through blood-brain barrier endothelial cells. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 39 1149-58... 

III). The tight tissue boundaries include the intestinal wall, skin, cornea, conjunctiva, blood-brain barrier, placental barrier, and blood-retina barrier. In leaky tissue boundaries (e.g. fenestrated endothelia, sinusoidal vessels, and tissue boundaries disrupted by the disease states such as inflammation), the nanoparticulates may pass the barrier by paracellular permeation. In specific cases, receptor-mediated transcytosis may be possible... 

Certain proteins, such as insulin, transferrin, and insulin-like growth factors, cross the blood-brain barrier by receptor-mediated transcytosis. Once the protein binds to its membrane receptor, the membrane containing the receptor-protein complex is endocytosed into the endothelial cell to form a vesicle. It is released on the other side of the endothelial cell. Absorptive-mediated transcytosis also can occur. It differs from receptor-mediated transcytosis in that the protein binds nonspecifically to the membrane and not to a distinct receptor. 

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