[Molecular mechanism for the establishment of blood-vessel gateway for immune cells in the CNS.]

We have been studying about the molecular mechanism responsible for the establishment of the blood-vessel gateway through which immune cells enter the CNS. We have discovered three kinds of gateways in a multiple sclerosis model, EAE, based on the neural stimulations and named them the gravity-gateway reflex, electric-gateway reflex, and pain-gateway reflex, respectively. All gateway reflexes are involved in specific crosstalk between sensory-sympathetic pathways. For example, in the gravity-gateway reflex, gravity-mediated sensory stimulation via the soleus muscles activates fifth lumber(L5)dorsal loot ganglions to activate L5 sympathetic ganglions, which express norepinephrine at specific vessels of the L5 cord. We explain these three types of gateway reflexes in this chapter.