VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Seattle, WA 98108, USA.
Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.
Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Apr 2;20(7):1632. doi: 10.3390/ijms20071632.
Age is associated with altered immune functions that may affect the brain. Brain barriers, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-CSF barrier (BCSFB), are important interfaces for neuroimmune communication, and are affected by aging. In this review, we explore novel mechanisms by which the aging immune system alters central nervous system functions and neuroimmune responses, with a focus on brain barriers. Specific emphasis will be on recent works that have identified novel mechanisms by which BBB/BCSFB functions change with age, interactions of the BBB with age-associated immune factors, and contributions of the BBB to age-associated neurological disorders. Understanding how age alters BBB functions and responses to pathological insults could provide important insight on the role of the BBB in the progression of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease.
年龄与免疫功能改变有关，这些改变可能会影响大脑。脑屏障，包括血脑屏障 (BBB) 和血脑脊液屏障 (BCSFB)，是神经免疫通讯的重要接口，并且会受到年龄的影响。在这篇综述中，我们探讨了衰老的免疫系统改变中枢神经系统功能和神经免疫反应的新机制，重点关注脑屏障。特别强调的是最近的研究工作，这些工作确定了 BBB/BCSFB 功能随年龄变化的新机制、BBB 与与年龄相关的免疫因子的相互作用，以及 BBB 对与年龄相关的神经疾病的贡献。了解年龄如何改变 BBB 的功能和对病理损伤的反应，可以为 BBB 在认知能力下降和神经退行性疾病进展中的作用提供重要的见解。
