We welcome researchers to contribute to this special collection exploring how barrier regulation and dysfunction shape immune invasion and disease progression in multiple sclerosis.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system (CNS), long associated with disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). While BBB breakdown remains a hallmark of active lesions, recent advances highlight that barrier dysfunction in MS extends far beyond the CNS and involves a broader network of physiological barriers. These include the blood-spinal cord barrier, the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, the gut-vascular barrier, and peripheral endothelial interfaces.
This special collection welcomes contributions that explore the regulation and dysregulation of barrier integrity in MS. We are particularly interested in research that examines how disturbances in one barrier may influence others—suggesting that MS is not solely a disease of localized CNS pathology, but also shaped by systemic interactions and peripheral immune cues.
Studies investigating the diverse cellular players involved in barrier maintenance—such as endothelial cells, glial cells, immune cells, and epithelial structures—are encouraged. We also welcome research addressing the dynamic molecular networks that govern barrier stability, including cell-cell communication, extracellular matrix remodeling, and inflammatory signaling. Rather than focusing on specific pathways, this collection seeks a broad understanding of the mechanisms—both known and emerging—that contribute to barrier function and failure.
A key aim is to better understand how barrier breakdown contributes to immune cell infiltration, sustained inflammation, and neurodegeneration in MS. Equally important are studies exploring how these barriers can be protected or repaired. We encourage submissions that investigate strategies to prevent or reverse barrier dysfunction, whether through pharmacological agents, biological therapies, microbiome-based interventions, or novel delivery systems.
By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives—from neuroimmunology and vascular biology to microbiology and translational medicine—this collection aims to illuminate how barrier dynamics shape the course of MS. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and commentaries that broaden our understanding of barrier regulation and inspire innovative approaches to therapy.
Join us in redefining the role of barriers in MS—not as passive borders, but as active regulators of immune access, inflammation, and resilience.
Topic Editor Shane A Liddelow maintains a financial interest in AstronauTx Ltd. and Synapticure, sits on the Scientific Advisory Board of AstronauTx Ltd, Synapticure, The Global BioAccess Fund, Concept Life Sciences, and the NeuroOncology program at MD Anderson. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
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Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
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