The Glycocalyx: The Importance of Sugar Coating the Blood-Brain Barrier

Abstract

The endothelial glycocalyx (GCX), located on the luminal surface of vascular endothelial cells, is composed of glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans. It plays a pivotal role in maintaining blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity and vascular health within the central nervous system (CNS), influencing critical processes such as blood flow regulation, inflammation modulation, and vascular permeability. While the GCX is ubiquitously expressed on the surface of every cell in the body, the GCX at the BBB is highly specialized, with a distinct composition of glycans, physical structure, and surface charge when compared to GCX elsewhere in the body. There is evidence that the GCX at the BBB is disrupted and partially shed in many diseases that impact the CNS. Despite this, the GCX has yet to be a major focus of therapeutic targeting for CNS diseases. This review examines diverse model systems used in cerebrovascular GCX-related research, emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate models to ensure clinical relevance and translational potential. This review aims to highlight the importance of the GCX in disease and how targeting the GCX at the BBB specifically may be an effective approach for brain specific targeting for therapeutics.