The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a brain-specific capillary barrier critical for preventing entry of toxic substances into the central nervous system. In contrast to vessels of peripheral organs, the BBB limits the exchange of inflammatory cells and mediators under physiological and pathological conditions. Clarifying these regulation of the BBB would provide new insights into neuroprotective strategies in neuroinflammatory diseases. However, the physiology of the BBB and the pathogenesis of BBB disruption remain incompletely understood. A major limiting factor is the lack of reliable models of the human BBB. Several different in vitro models suggest that there is no perfect model system, with different models advantageous in specific situations. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on BBB cellular components and in vitro BBB models with a particular focus on novel and recent findings.