In Search of Treatments for Alzheimer ' s Disease in the Lymphatic System of the Brain

That the brain has a lymphatic system that drains into the body is a comparatively recently discovery, a development of the last decade of research. It isn't the only way in which fluids drain from the brain - see, for example, the work on the cribriform plate path for drainage of cerebrospinal fluid - but there are a limited number of such pathways outside the vascular system. The vascular system itself is separated from the brain by the blood-brain barrier that surrounds every blood vessel that passes through the central nervous system. This barrier controls the entry and exit of molecules and cells, limiting the degree to which forms of undesirable molecular waste can be removed. Cerebrospinal fluid and lymphatic fluid leaving the brain can carry away molecular waste, such as the protein aggregates of various forms (amyloid-β, tau, α-synuclein, and so on) that are associated with the development of neurodegenerative conditions. These pathways of drainage decline in effectiveness with age. This is coming to be seen as a meaningful contribution to the buildup of protein aggregates in the brain, and thus consequent pathology. This makes mechanisms of drainage an important consideration in the development of neurodegeneration, and a potential target for therapies. Brain's waste removal system may offer path to better outcomes in Alzheimer's therapy Abnormal buildup of amyloid-beta is one hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. The brain's lymphatic drainage ...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs