Table 1 Sources of cells used to replicate BMEC function

Immortalized

• canine kidney epithelial (MDCK)

• human colon adenocarcinoma epithelial (Caco-2)

• mouse BMEC (BEnd.3)

• rat BMEC (RBE4)

• human BMEC (hCMEC/D3 and hBMEC)

40–315

compiled in [96]

• stable over numerous passages

• commercially available

• can be transfected to express human efflux pumps (MDCK)

• incomplete tight junctions

• poor barrier function

[53, 99, 123]

Primary

Mouse, rat, porcine, bovine, human BMECs

130–2200 compiled in [96]

• close initial resemblance to in vivo conditions

• tedious purification with low yields and batch variability

• senesce after few passages

• difficult to obtain healthy tissue (human)

[98, 124,125,126]

PSC-derived

Mouse or human iPSC or ESC

250–5350

[19, 101, 102]

• renewable source

• patient specific

• physiological TEER

• require differentiation and thorough characterization

[20, 101, 102, 112]