Flocel Inc, formed by Cleveland Medical Devices with licensed technology from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, is developing a practical in-vitro model that more accurately reflects the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) characteristics to allow pharmaceutical companies to accurately develop and test drugs. The bloodâbrain barrier (BBB) is a separation of the circulating blood from the brain extracellular fluid in the central nervous system. Formed by brain capillaries that look like simple tubes of endothelial cells, the BBB consists of tight junctions around the capillaries that do not exist in normal circulation. Endothelial cells restrict the diffusion of bacteria or hydrophilic molecules into the cerebrospinal fluid, allowing the diffusion of small hydrophobic molecules. Cells of the barrier actively transport metabolic products such as glucose across the barrier with specific proteins. The BBB maintains the chemical environment for neuronal function and protects the brain from harmful substances and therefore crucial for complex issues such as drug delivery, pathogenesis of chronic neurological diseases, and issues related to bio-defense. Flocel's Dynamic In-Vitro Blood Brain Barrier (DIV-BBB), is a tool that allows reproduction of flow-based 3D cell culture apparatus, including the expression of metabolic and extrusion mechanisms responsible for multiple drug resistance to antiepileptic drugs and anti-tumor agents.
