Background

Blood vessels in the brain and retina have a special protective barrier that tightly controls what can pass from the blood into the central nervous system. This barrier is normally sealed by the protein claudin-5, but it becomes leaky in many neurological and eye diseases.

Research

In this study, we used advanced genetic screening to identify molecules that regulate claudin-5 in blood vessels. We discovered that two proteins, EHD4 and ASAP2, act as negative regulators of claudin-5. When we switched off the production of these proteins, we observed stronger barriers with increased claudin-5 at cell junctions.

Potential Impact

These findings suggest that targeting EHD4 or ASAP2 could offer a new way to strengthen the blood–brain and blood–retina barriers. In the future, this approach could help protect the brain and eyes in conditions where these barriers become leaky, such as epilepsy or age-related macular degeneration.