Immortalized human brain endothelial cell line HCMEC/D3 as a model of the blood-brain barrier facilitates in vitro studies of central nervous system infection by Cryptococcus neoformans

Kiem Vu; Babette Weksler; Ignacio Romero; Pierre-Olivier Couraud; Angie Gelli

doi:10.1128/EC.00240-09

Immortalized human brain endothelial cell line HCMEC/D3 as a model of the blood-brain barrier facilitates in vitro studies of central nervous system infection by Cryptococcus neoformans

Eukaryot Cell. 2009 Nov;8(11):1803-7. doi: 10.1128/EC.00240-09. Epub 2009 Sep 18.

Authors

Kiem Vu¹, Babette Weksler, Ignacio Romero, Pierre-Olivier Couraud, Angie Gelli

Affiliation

¹ Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility, Davis, CA, USA.

Abstract

Cryptococcus neoformans cells must cross the blood-brain barrier prior to invading the central nervous system. Here we demonstrate that the immortalized human brain endothelial cell line HCMEC/D3 is a useful alternative to primary brain endothelial cells as a model of the blood-brain barrier for studies of central nervous system infection.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Blood-Brain Barrier / metabolism
Blood-Brain Barrier / microbiology*
Brain / cytology*
Brain / metabolism
Brain / microbiology
Cell Line
Central Nervous System Infections / genetics
Central Nervous System Infections / metabolism
Central Nervous System Infections / microbiology*
Cryptococcosis / genetics
Cryptococcosis / metabolism
Cryptococcosis / microbiology*
Cryptococcus neoformans / physiology*
Endothelial Cells / cytology*
Endothelial Cells / microbiology
Gene Expression
Humans
Models, Biological