Bacterial extracellular vesicles indirectly destabilize a human stem cell-derived blood-brain barrier on-chip through pro-inflammatory stimulation of immune cells

Key Points

• This research aims to investigate how bacterial extracellular vesicles affect the stability of human stem cell-derived blood-brain barrier models through immune cell activation.
• Conducted in vitro experiments using a human stem cell-derived blood-brain barrier model
• Exposed barrier models to pathogenic bacterial extracellular vesicles
• Assessed the effects on barrier integrity and immune cell activation
• Bacterial extracellular vesicles induced changes in the blood-brain barrier's stability
• Pro-inflammatory markers increased in immune cells due to exposure to the vesicles
• Evidence of neuroinflammation was observed as a result of the indirect effects of the vesicles on immune cells.