COST Exploratory Workshop :
Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Blood-Brain Barrier: State of the Art, Needs for Future Research and Expected Benefits for the EU
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1
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Israel
Despite recent advances, the treatment of brain diseases and neurological disorders, such as the Parkinson and Alzheimer syndromes, schizophrenia, many forms of epilepsy, chronic pain and migraine, remains a major challenge.
When the brain fails, not only the patient but also its family and the society are afflicted due to problems in communication, interaction and interpersonal relations. The prevalence of central nervous system (CNS) disorders in European populations is exhibiting a steady rise, most likely as a consequence of therapeutic success in other areas of medicine and of population ageing. In addition, there is continuing concern that environmental chemicals are contributing to the burden of CNS disorders. However, appropriate methods are not available to enable attribution.
It has become increasingly evident that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a major role in the normal function of the brain as well as in the pathology of brain disorders. There have been a number of recent activities in relevant areas within the Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) program and elsewhere in Europe, as well as in other regions. Hence, it was timely to organize a workshop to review progress, to consider research needs and to propose to the European Community a strategy for future research in the area of BBB, building upon the achievements of these other activities.
The workshop was held in Brussels on 11-12 February 2010 and brought together representatives of currently active COST Actions dealing with relevant aspects of brain and BBB research (B30, B35, BM0601, BM0602, BM0603 and D34) and members of the recently concluded Action B25. Several non-COST experts in the areas of BBB and brain disorders also participated in this workshop in order to provide a broad scope for the workshop and reach its goals, as detailed below.
Aims and goals of the workshop
The aims and goals of this workshop, funded by COST, were as follows: - Present the State of the Art on the function of the BBB in regulating the access of drugs and toxicants to the brain, and its role in the pathology of CNS disorders such as neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.
- Define the factors influencing the access of drugs and toxicants to the brain and their effects in the CNS.
- Delineate a sound strategy for developing better and safer measures for the prevention and treatment of such diseases by modulating the BBB function.
- Stimulate collaborative research (basic and applied) which will reduce morbidity and mortality, as well as the life-long inabilities caused by CNS disorders.
Conference:
Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Blood-Brain Barrier: State of the Art, Needs for Future Research and Expected Benefits for the EU, Brussels, Belgium, 11 Feb - 12 Feb, 2010.
Presentation Type:
Introduction
Topic:
Introduction
Citation:
Kapitulnik
J
(2010). COST Exploratory Workshop :
Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Blood-Brain Barrier: State of the Art, Needs for Future Research and Expected Benefits for the EU.
Front. Pharmacol.
Conference Abstract:
Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Blood-Brain Barrier: State of the Art, Needs for Future Research and Expected Benefits for the EU.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fphar.2010.02.00003
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Received:
22 Feb 2010;
Published Online:
22 Feb 2010.
*
Correspondence:
Jaime Kapitulnik, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, Israel, jaimek@savion.huji.ac.il