An original research article led by Salman Group members Mirriam Domocos and Luise Schlotterose, in collaboration with colleagues from the USA, shows that photobiomodulation restores blood-brain barrier integrity following hypoxic injury in a humanised tricellular model through modulation of endothelial von Willebrand factor. The work highlights the potential of photobiomodulation as a non-invasive approach to protect and restore the neurovascular unit. The study was accompanied by a perspective from Professor Alexei Verkhratsky discussing the significance of the findings, and artwork inspired by the Salman Group research was selected for the cover of The Journal of Physiology.
The issue also features an invited review by Sophie Beaumont, Tanya Singh, Luana Campos Soares and Mootaz Salman examining experimental models of cerebral small vessel disease, their physiological constraints, translational challenges and opportunities for developing more predictive human-relevant models. The review followed Mootaz Salman’s award of The Physiological Society’s 2025 Bayliss-Starling Prize Lecture, which recognises significant contributions to physiological understanding. The review was published in The Journal of Physiology in June 2026.