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Schematic of the neurovascular unit (NVU) of the BBB. The BBB is formed by endothelial cells that are interconnected by tight junction (TJ) connections and neighboring cells, such as astrocytes, microglia, interneurons, neurons, and pericytes, thus comprising the NVU. MMPs can cleave TJs and degrade the composition of basal lamina, such as collagen IV, elastin, proteoglycans, laminin and fibronectin, leading to an increase in BBB permeability (Abbott et al., 2006).
