The dynamic interaction and movement of substances and cells between the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral organs are meticulously controlled by a specialized vascular structure, the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Experimental and clinical research has shown that disruptions in the BBB are characteristic of various neuroinflammatory disorders, including multiple sclerosis. We have been elucidating a mechanism termed the "gateway reflex" that details the entry of immune cells, notably autoreactive T cells, into the CNS at the onset of such diseases. This process is initiated through local neural responses to a range of environmental stimuli, such as gravity, electricity, pain, stress, light, and joint inflammation. These stimuli specifically activate neural pathways to open gateways at targeted blood vessels for blood immune cell entry. The gateway reflex is pivotal in managing tissue-specific inflammatory diseases, and its improper activation is linked to disease progression. In this review, we present a comprehensive examination of the gateway reflex mechanism.
Keyphrases
- blood brain barrier
- multiple sclerosis
- oxidative stress
- induced apoptosis
- chronic pain
- palliative care
- minimally invasive
- pain management
- neuropathic pain
- drinking water
- cancer therapy
- signaling pathway
- spinal cord injury
- spinal cord
- cell death
- stress induced
- drug delivery
- human health
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- cerebrospinal fluid