Activation of EGFR signaling --> activates annexin A1 and STAT3 --> mobilises matrix metalloproteinase MMP-2/9 --> damages the blood-brain barrier.

The effect can be recapitulated with serum from dialysis patients, and blocked by EGFR inhibitors.
Transcriptome-based analyses of mouse brain tissue showed pCS affected lots of different things, but didn't highlight any specific pathway to look at, so @drsimonmcarthur.bsky.social hit the literature and found pCS interacted with EGFR. So this became the focus of his mechanistic work.

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