Mary Bates, PhD

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The Brain's Bouncer: The Blood-Brain Barrier

Image: ssshadowcopy, via Flickr. Distributed under a CC BY 2.0 license. The brain is the only organ known to have its own security system, a network of blood vessels that allows the entry of essential nutrients while blocking other substances. Unfortunately, this barrier is so effective that it often prevents life-saving drugs from being able to repair the injured or diseased brain. New studies are guiding researchers toward creative ways to open this barrier and “trick” it into allowing medicines to enter.Read my latest Research & Discoveries article for the Society for Neuroscience: The Blood-Brain Barrier.