Current aspects of the development of the blood-brain barrier.

Results of earlier studies clearly indicated that, during development, a number of enzymes are sequentially expressed in the brain endothelial cells correlating in time with the maturation of brain tissue. More recent data suggested that differentiation of endothelium in the intraparenchymal cerebral microvessels into one with blood-brain barrier characteristics seems to be induced by astrocytes at a specific time of embryonic development. Details of the above-mentioned and other important aspects of the development of the blood-brain barrier will be discussed in the present mini review.