Shireen Mentor

University of Cape Town | UCT · Department of Human Biology

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a robust interface between the blood and the central nervous system. Barrier type endothelium is able to limit paracellular (PC) movement, relegating molecular flux to the transendothelial pathways of brain endothelial cells (BECs). It is, therefore, apparent that any leakage via the PC shunts would effectively null...

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provides a technical platform for nanoscopic mapping of biological structures. Correct preparation of SEM samples can provide an unprecedented understanding of the nexus between cellular morphology and topography. This comparative study critically examines two coating methods for preparing biological samples for s...

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is fundamental in maintaining central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis by regulating the chemical environment of the underlying brain parenchyma. Brain endothelial cells (BECs) constitute the anatomical and functional basis of the BBB. Communication between adjacent BECs is critical for establishing BBB integrity, and...

The brain capillary endothelium is highly regulatory, maintaining the chemical stability of the brain’s microenvironment. The role of cytoskeletal proteins in tethering nanotubules (TENTs) during barrier-genesis was investigated using the established immortalized mouse brain endothelial cell line (bEnd5) as an in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) mod...

The immune system is a complex architecture of a collective and coordinated network regulated by various pathways to thermodynamically maintain immune homeostasis. The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role that offers significant stimuli (i.e., gut-brain, gut-lung, and gut-liver axis) for both innate and adaptive immunity, mediating immune and metabo...

Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is mainly prevalent in the older population. Approximately fifty million people are diagnosed with dementia, with AD accounting for 60–70% of these cases. Amyloid beta (Aβ) is considered a pathological hallmark of AD. The shorter Aβ 25 – 35 peptide fragments, forme...

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provides a technical platform for nanoscopic mapping of biological structures. Correct preparation of SEM samples can provide an unprecedented understanding of the nexus between cellular morphology and topography. This comparative study critically analyses two coating methods for investigating biological samples u...

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provides a technical platform for nanoscopic mapping of biological structures. Correct preparation of SEM samples can provide an unprecedented understanding of the nexus between cellular morphology and topography. This comparative study critically examines two coating methods for preparing biological samples for s...

High-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) imaging of the in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB), is a promising modality for investigating the dynamic morphological interplay underpinning BBB development. The successful establishment of BBB integrity is grounded in the brain endothelial cells (BEC’s) ability to occlude its paracellular spaces of brain...

Despite significant advancements in the field of molecular neurobiology especially neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, the highly complex molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases remain elusive. As a result, the development of the next generation neurotherapeutics has experienced a considerable lag phase. Recent advancements...

The pathological form of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide is shown to be toxic to the mitochondria and implicates this organelle in the progression and pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Mitochondria are dynamic structures constantly undergoing fission and fusion, and altering their shape and size while traveling through neurons. Mitochondrial fiss...

Oxidative stress in the brain microvasculature is a common characteristic in models of cere-brovascular disease. Considering the effects of reactive oxygen species activity in vascular-derived insults , it is naturally prudent to hypothesize those interventions inhibiting reactive oxygen species activity, such as antioxidant supplementation, may be...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major health problem in the United States, which affects about 1.7 million people each year. Glial cells, T-cells, and mast cells perform specific protective functions in different regions of the brain for the recovery of cognitive and motor functions after central nervous system (CNS) injuries including TBI. Chron...

Nanoparticles (NPs) have gained importance in addressing drug delivery challenges across biological barriers. Here, we reformulated pentamidine, a drug used to treat Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) in polymer based nanoparticles and liposomes and compared their capability to enhance pentamidine penetration across blood brain barrier (BBB). Size...

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that causes an irreversible cognitive decline in an estimated 5.5 million Americans. If the present trend continues, by 2050 the number of AD patients will surpass 16 million with ~$1.1 trillion in healthcare costs thereby necessitating the development of novel therapeutic strateg...

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that causes an irreversible cognitive decline in an estimated 5.5 million Americans. If the present trend continues, by 2050 the number of AD patients will surpass 16 million with ~$1.1 trillion in healthcare costs thereby necessitating the development of novel therapeutic strateg...

The molecular mechanism mediating nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons degeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD) is not yet fully understood. We have shown that glia maturation factor (GMF), a proinflammatory protein mediated mast cells activation in the dopaminergic neurodegenerations. Here, we show that deficiency of GMF (GMF‐KO) and mast cell reduc...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of beta‐amyloid (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brain. Emerging evidence suggested that in neurodegenerative disease, aggregation of these proteins can promotes neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Glia maturation factor...

Mast cell activation plays an important role in stress-mediated disease pathogenesis. Chronic stress cause or exacerbate aging and age-dependent neurodegenerative diseases. The severity of inflammatory diseases is worsened by the stress. Mast cell activation-dependent inflammatory mediators augment stress associated pain and neuroinflammation. Stre...

Oxidative stress in the brain microvasculature is a common characteristic in models of cerebrovascular disease. Considering the effects of reactive oxygen species activity in vascular-derived insults, it is naturally prudent to hypothesize those interventions inhibiting reactive oxygen species activity, such as antioxidant supplementation, may be b...