PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Xu, Lingling
AU  - Nirwane, Abhijit
AU  - Yao, Yao
TI  - Basement membrane and blood–brain barrier
AID  - 10.1136/svn-2018-000198
DP  - 2019 Jun 01
TA  - Stroke and Vascular Neurology
PG  - 78--82
VI  - 4
IP  - 2
4099  - http://svn.bmj.com/content/4/2/78.short
4100  - http://svn.bmj.com/content/4/2/78.full
AB  - The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a highly complex and dynamic structure, mainly composed of brain microvascular endothelial cells, pericytes, astrocytes and the basement membrane (BM). The vast majority of BBB research focuses on its cellular constituents. Its non-cellular component, the BM, on the other hand, is largely understudied due to its intrinsic complexity and the lack of research tools. In this review, we focus on the role of the BM in BBB integrity. We first briefly introduce the biochemical composition and structure of the BM. Next, the biological functions of major components of the BM in BBB formation and maintenance are discussed. Our goal is to provide a concise overview on how the BM contributes to BBB integrity.