We are excited to announce a new 2026 Cajal Course to be focused on the CNS Borders and Barriers: ‘The Neurovascular Unit and Beyond – How CNS Border Sites Dynamically Regulate Brain Homeostasis.’ This topic could not be more topical at the present moment. Recent years have literally seen an explosion of foundational work on the CNS barrier / interface / border sites (Badaut et al. FBCNS, 2024). Today, we have an increasingly complex and nuanced understanding of the transcriptomics, anatomy, and functional correlates of these different interfaces. This knowledge has fueled a dramatic increase in translational applications (e.g. delivery approaches for biotherapeutics and small molecules) as well as an ongoing vigorous discussion about several aspects of the CNS border sites within the field. 

We are now on the cusp of several new therapeutic approaches being fully translated into the clinic (e.g. Alison Abbott: Breaking down barriers in brain-drug research. Nature, 29 May 2025), in part due to a more complete understanding of neurovascular unit, choroid plexus, and leptomeningeal biology. Better appreciation of the physiology of brain fluids (cerebrospinal fluid, interstitial fluid) has also been informing much more sophisticated interpretation of biomarkers (e.g. neurofilament light chain) that increasingly underlie the monitoring of disease progression and responses to therapy. Finally, the large body of recent clinical (and pre-clinical) therapeutic CNS-directed work is in turn facilitating a more sophisticated reconsideration of the CNS border sites, allowing us to better comprehend critical physiological processes, species differences, and even evolutionary aspects related to brain homeostasis. It is an incredibly exciting time for the field! This course will explore these scientific areas with world class keynote lectures and laboratory modules led by a number of dynamic instructors at the forefront of the field.