UC Irvine

As biomedical technology advances and studies uncover new forms of elucidating the underlying mechanisms of our brain, we can begin to study the brain’s components, development, function, and health. This thesis will focus on the choroid plexus (CP), a tissue essential for the development and maintenance of the brain. The choroid plexus is composed of cuboidal epithelial cells known was choroid plexus epithelial cells (CPEC). CPEC are responsible for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) secretion and form the blood cerebrospinal fluid barrier. Over and under production of CSF production have been linked to various mental disorders. Furthermore, it has been speculated that accelerated CPEC atrophy leads to a reduction in CSF and protein secretion, a phenomenon described in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Despite CPEC’s critical role, very little has been done to study the normal CPEC function. In this thesis, CPEC morphology, protein expression, and barrier properties will be explored. This body of work aims to demystify normal CPEC function in hopes that it will serve as foundation for future pathological studies.