Valentina Castagnola

The paper designs a high-affinity CLDN5 peptide binder, ST9, that induces reversible, size-controlled BBB openings without altering CLDN5 expression or proteomic profile.

The paper designs and tests peptides that bind claudin-5 to increase blood-brain barrier permeability, identifying a peptide that effectively enhances permeability in vitro.

This study shows that tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) enable mitochondrial transfer between BBB cells, rescuing astrocytes from ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis and highlighting pericytes' role in BBB preservation.