The Meninges at the Border Between the Brain Immune System and the Peripheral Immune System

While the immune system of the brain is distinct from that of the rest of the body, the central nervous system walled off by the blood-brain barrier, the inflammatory status of the brain is very much influenced by the inflammatory status of the rest of the body. Signals pass back and forth, and at the edges of the brain there are a variety of tissues in which one can find peripheral immune cells such as macrophages of the innate immune system or T cells of the adaptive immune system. One such tissue is the meninges, the membranes that wrap the brain and spinal cord. In recent years, since the discovery of the glymphatic system that drains waste from the brain, more attention has been given to cell populations in the lymphatic vessels and vasculature of the meninges, as well as other tissues bordering the brain, such as the choroid plexus. As an example of this work, today's open access review discusses what is known of the way in which peripheral immune system involvement in the meninges may influence the inner regions of the brain. Current views on meningeal lymphatics and immunity in aging and Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an aging-related form of dementia associated with the accumulation of pathological aggregates of amyloid beta and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. These phenomena are accompanied by exacerbated inflammation and marked neuronal loss, which altogether contribute to accelerated cognitive decline. The multifactori...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs