Viral infection and the blood-brain barrier: molecular research insights and therapies
Viral infection and the blood-brain barrier: molecular research insights and therapies
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain from pathogenic microorganisms. Neurologic complications from viral infections, including herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus, HIV, Japanese encephalitis virus, and SARS-CoV-2, are linked to BBB dysfunction and loss of barrier integrity. Increased BBB permeability associated with viral infections can occur through several mechanisms, such as direct neurotropism, Trojan horse mechanisms, or systemic infection and inflammation. Viruses cause direct and indirect immune-mediated damage. Understanding these neuroimmune mechanisms is critical to establish therapeutic strategies to protect BBB function. This review describes the effect of viral infection on the BBB, clinical methods to assess BBB integrity, and clinical management approaches to address viral-induced BBB damage.
Boardman, Sarah A
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Hetherington, Claire
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Hughes, Thomas
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Cook, Callum
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Galea, Ian
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Hilton, Orla
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Solomon, Tom
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Luster, Andrew D
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Allan, Stuart
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Kurt-Jones, Evelyn
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Forth, Joe
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Patabendige, Adjanie
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Egbe, Franklyn N
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Dunai, Cordelia
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Michael, Benedict D
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Boardman, Sarah A
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Hetherington, Claire
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Hughes, Thomas
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Cook, Callum
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Galea, Ian
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Hilton, Orla
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Solomon, Tom
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Luster, Andrew D
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Allan, Stuart
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Kurt-Jones, Evelyn
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Forth, Joe
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Patabendige, Adjanie
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Egbe, Franklyn N
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Dunai, Cordelia
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Michael, Benedict D
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Boardman, Sarah A, Hetherington, Claire, Hughes, Thomas, Cook, Callum, Galea, Ian, Hilton, Orla, Solomon, Tom, Luster, Andrew D, Allan, Stuart, Kurt-Jones, Evelyn, Forth, Joe, Patabendige, Adjanie, Egbe, Franklyn N, Dunai, Cordelia and Michael, Benedict D
(2025)
Viral infection and the blood-brain barrier: molecular research insights and therapies.
Journal of Infectious Diseases.
(doi:10.1093/infdis/jiaf455).
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain from pathogenic microorganisms. Neurologic complications from viral infections, including herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus, HIV, Japanese encephalitis virus, and SARS-CoV-2, are linked to BBB dysfunction and loss of barrier integrity. Increased BBB permeability associated with viral infections can occur through several mechanisms, such as direct neurotropism, Trojan horse mechanisms, or systemic infection and inflammation. Viruses cause direct and indirect immune-mediated damage. Understanding these neuroimmune mechanisms is critical to establish therapeutic strategies to protect BBB function. This review describes the effect of viral infection on the BBB, clinical methods to assess BBB integrity, and clinical management approaches to address viral-induced BBB damage.
Text
jiaf455
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Accepted/In Press date: 26 August 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 29 September 2025
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 506183
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/506183
ISSN: 0022-1899
PURE UUID: ad4ec17e-b09f-4a5d-b839-9146faa00466
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Date deposited: 29 Oct 2025 17:45
Last modified: 30 Oct 2025 02:37
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Contributors
Author:
Sarah A Boardman
Author:
Claire Hetherington
Author:
Thomas Hughes
Author:
Callum Cook
Author:
Orla Hilton
Author:
Tom Solomon
Author:
Andrew D Luster
Author:
Stuart Allan
Author:
Evelyn Kurt-Jones
Author:
Joe Forth
Author:
Adjanie Patabendige
Author:
Franklyn N Egbe
Author:
Cordelia Dunai
Author:
Benedict D Michael
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