Blood-brain barrier: Johns Hopkins team develops lab models to study disruption

A Johns Hopkins team led by Peter Searson is using tissue-engineered, stem-cell–derived microvessel models to study how the blood‑brain barrier is disrupted in Alzheimer’s and other conditions and to test strategies for delivering therapies; the work is primarily funded by the NIH but faces funding uncertainty.

Peter Searson leads a Johns Hopkins University team focused on the blood-brain barrier and how it becomes disrupted in a range of conditions. The lab builds tissue-engineered microvessels that incorporate human cells derived from stem cells to replicate small blood vessels in the brain. This effort responds to a 2025 NIH initiative emphasizing human models and is primarily supported by the National Institutes of Health. The team has also contributed models to an Adult Brain Tumor Consortium workshop to test approaches for delivering drugs or genes across the barrier. Key points: - Disruption of the blood-brain barrier is reported in several seemingly unrelated conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, chronic pain, traumatic brain injury, and multiple sclerosis. - Searson’s lab uses engineered human microvessels to study how specific stressors and genetic factors affect barrier injury and healing. - The research has been used to assess strategies for getting therapies across the barrier and is primarily NIH-funded, with the team noting uncertainty about future federal support. Summary: Understanding mechanisms of blood-brain barrier disruption may clarify links between diverse brain conditions and the difficulty of delivering therapies to the brain. Researchers are continuing to refine human microvessel models and to test delivery strategies in collaboration with consortium partners; future progress is linked to continued funding and ongoing studies.