Molecular adaptations of the blood–brain barrier promote stress resilience vs. depression

Significance Thirty to fifty percent of depressed individuals are unresponsive to commonly prescribed antidepressant treatments, suggesting that biological mechanisms, such as stress-induced inflammation and blood vessel dysfunction, remain untreated. The blood–brain barrier is the ultimate frontier between the brain and harmful toxins or inflammatory signals circulating in the blood. Depression and vulnerability to chronic social stress are associated with loss of this barrier integrity; however, the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Identification of adaptations leading to resilience under stressful conditions could help develop novel treatments. Here we combined behavioral, p…

Social Stress Induces Blood-Brain Barrier Leakiness and Molecular Alterations Promoting Depression or Stress Resilience