Well-known protein opens new approaches against MS and strokes

Important factor discovered for the development of the blood-brain barrier

Göttingen researchers investigated the long-established Hunchback protein and found that the protein apparently plays a central role in the development of the blood-brain barrier. The biologists have demonstrated in fruit flies that the loss of protein function results in a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. This barrier mainly ensures that the brain is supplied with nutrients and pollutants are kept away. The results provide new impetus for research on diseases that affect the blood-brain barrier such as multiple sclerosis and some types of strokes.

Biologists from the University of Göttingen have gained their insights into the Hunchback protein in studies of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Although the experiments were carried out on flies, but can be compared to humans draw, since according to the scientists, the blood-brain barrier of the fruit fly similar to that of humans. For the formation of this protective cover, very similar built specialized cells are responsible in different animal groups. The results of the study were recently published in the journal "PLoS Genetics".

Göttingen scientists discover important functions of the Hunchback protein in connection with the blood-brain barrier. (Image: Sergey Nivens / fotolia.com)

The function of the blood-brain barrier

The blood-brain barrier allows by delimiting that the blood in the nervous tissue of the brain can maintain a special milieu. This process is called homeostasis. The blood-brain barrier, which consists mainly of a barrier of endothelial cells, has important protective functions, such as the defense against circulating pathogens, toxins and messengers. The function of the blood-brain barrier can be compared with a filter that allows the required nutrients to pass through, removes metabolic products and blocks off pollutants.

Blood-brain barrier complicates drug treatments

In a variety of neurological diseases, the blood-brain barrier complicates the drug treatment, since many drugs are blocked by the barrier and so do not achieve the desired goal. Many current research areas are concerned with overcoming the blood-brain barrier.

The fly eye provided the crucial clue

Developmental biologists have long known the hunchback protein as an important factor in embryonic development. Now, when researching the genes in the Taufliegenauge discovered the Göttingen researchers that many genes are also regulated by the Hunchback protein. "Motivated by this discovery, we have examined the function of the protein in more detail," explains the first author Montserrat Torres Oliva of the Johann Friedrich Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology in a press release of the Georg August University of Göttingen on the study results.

The researchers switched off the blood-brain barrier in fly brains

First, the biologists observed that the Hunchback protein is active in specific glial cells. These migrate into the fly eye, fulfill their function there and then leave the eye in the direction of the brain. "What tasks the glial cells fulfill there then, was so far completely unclear," explains the head of the study, Dr. med. Nico poses.

Without Hunchback function no blood-brain barrier

In further experiments, the scientists switched off the protein. "The loss of the hunchback function meant that the glial cells could no longer be formed correctly and in flies with incomplete glial cells, the blood-brain barrier was not intact," the scientists conclude. The results are new impulses for the study of diseases in which the function of the blood-brain barrier is impaired. These include, for example, diseases such as multiple sclerosis and stroke. (Vb)