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What is the function of the blood-testis barrier?


Both the brain and the testes have a blood - organ - barrier. Just as the blood-brain-barrier keeps toxins out of the brain, presumably the blood-testis-barrier keeps toxins from damaging the integrity of the genetic code used for reproduction. Also, when the primary spermatocyte undergoes meiosis, to form the spermatozoa, it becomes genetically different from the body’s normal cells, which could cause it to be attacked by the immune system. The blood-testis-barrier protects it from the immune system. It also prevents certain proteins specific for the function of the spermatozoa from entering the bloodstream, which might also set off an immune response.
Both the brain and the testes may act as “sanctuary sites” for certain types of cancer since many types of chemotherapy drugs cannot pass through the barrier. Occasionally, radiation therapy may be necessary to sterilize deposits of cancer cells “hiding out” in these organs.
Credits: Gary Larson 

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