Abstract
Central nervous system (CNS) infections continue to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Microbial invasion and traversal of the blood-brain barrier is a prerequisite for CNS infections. Pathogens can cross the blood-brain barrier transcellularly, paracellularly and/or in infected phagocytes (the so-called Trojan-horse mechanism). Consequently, pathogens can cause blood-brain barrier dysfunction, including increased permeability, pleocytosis and encephalopathy. A more complete understanding of the microbial-host interactions that are involved in microbial traversal of the blood-brain barrier and the associated barrier dysfunction should help to develop new strategies to prevent CNS infections.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 625-634 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Nature Reviews Microbiology |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2008 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Microbiology
- General Immunology and Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases