Our recent studies, and those of others, have shown that signaling through the PDGF receptor α (PDGFRα) in the neurovascular unit (NVU) can promote BBB permeability and neuronal injury in several different neuropathological settings, including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, spinal cord injury, MS, and seizures (Su et al., 2008; Ma et al., 2011; Abrams et al., 2012; Adzemovic et al., 2013; Fredriksson et al., 2015). The gene discussed is PDGFRA; the disease is myeloid sarcoma.