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Meningeal lymph vessels of the brain, newly discovered in 2014, play a vital role in maintaining a healthy homeostasis in the aging brain and could be a new treatment target, a new Research of a team of neuroscientists and engineers at Virginia Tech and at the University of Virginia
The study sheds new light on the mechanisms underlying brain aging, as well only on the associated neurological diseases.
"Our results showed that someday this method could be used to help mitigate the effects not only of Alzheimer's disease, but also of other cognitive disorders related to Alzheimer's disease. age, "said Jennifer Munson of Virginia Tech, co-author of the study and assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics at
Meningeal Lymph Vessels
As widespread as may be the disease Alzheimer's, one of its most recognizable symptoms – a declining pronoun ced in cognitive function – is not isolated to Alzheimer's.Light cognitive impairment and even dementia can be a normal part of aging and can have serious implications on the independence and quality of life of a senior
Alzheimer's disease and age-related dementia are notoriously difficult to treat
Of the Cherc Dr. Jonathan Kipnis, president of the neurosciences of the University of Virginia Medical School, discovered that the meningeal lymphatic vessels drain fluid from the central nervous system into the cervical lymph nodes and dysfunction of the brain. these vessels. drainage worsens the cognitive decline as well as the pathology of Alzheimer's disease
Source: University of Virginia Health System
In addition, researchers treated healthy elderly mice with a molecule increasing the size of the lymphatic vessels. inside these vessels, mice showed better performance on learning and memory tasks.
"As you get older, the fluid movement in your brain slows down, sometimes at a rate that is half what it was when you were younger.We discovered that the proteins responsible Alzheimer's are drained by these lymphatic vessels into the brain as well as by other cellular debris, so any decrease in flow will affect this accumulation of proteins. "
says Munson. VEGF-C Hydrogel
To see if the flow could be manipulated, Munson and co-author Chase Cornelison designed a hydrogel containing a molecule known as vascular endothelial growth factor C or VEGF-C
. the hydrogel diffuses VEGF-C through the skull and into the lymphatic vessels of the brain, causing them to swell. In collaboration with our AVU collaborators, we used MRI technology to show that as a result of this treatment, the volume of fluid in the brain increased, which seemed to have a positive effect on the abilities cognitive.
Jennifer Munson of Virginia Tech works with cell culture media in her laboratory
Source: Virginia TechHydrogels, which are commonly used in research to deliver proteins or molecules at a specified level. site on the body, find frequent applications in tissue engineering, wound healing and stem cell research.
"The hydrogel itself in this study is not new, but the application is"
says Munson. Munson noted that older mice with normal, age-impaired cognitive abilities experienced the greatest gains in memory and learning of treatment.
Decreasing Flow Issues
Cornelison, Postdoctoral Researcher in Biomedical Engineering According to him, Munson hopes to use similar hydrogels in future studies as a non-invasive method to alter flow in the brain. "We want to characterize the cellular response to these flux changes," he said. "We know that increasing the flow in these vessels seems to increase cognitive function, but we do not know why." Why is slow flow a problem? Is it because you have decreased nutrient transport? or increased buildup of waste? Apart from Alzheimer's disease, we are not really sure what could cause a normal cognitive decline related to age. "
Munson, who studies the flow in the fluid space and filled with matrices surrounding cells called interstitial space, think that the answers to these questions could be upstream of the main drainage pathways of the brain. [19659004] "Currently, everyone is focusing on the global flow in the brain or the global movement of the brain," said Munson. "But to truly understand the mechanisms of the relationship between flow and cognitive outcomes, we must look at this that happens around neurons and astrocytes – all brain cells. "
Because Munson's lab is working with the interstitial flow, she says her team already has the systems in place to take the next step.
Sandro Da Mesquita, Antoine Louveau, Andrea Vaccari, Igor Smirnov, R. Chase Cornelison, Kathryn M. Kingsmore, Christian Contarino, Suna Onengut-Gumuscu, Emily Farber, Daniel Raper, Kenneth E. Viar, Romie D. Powell, Wendy Baker, Nisha Dabhi, Robin Bai, Rui Cao, Hu Song, Stephen S. Rich, Jennifer M. Munson, Beatriz Lopes, Christopher C. Overall, Scott T. Acton and Jonathan Kipnis
Functional Aspects of Meningeal Lymphatic Vessels in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease
Nature (2018)
Top Image: Obstructions of Lymphatic Vessels (in Green) in a Murine Model of Disease and Disease Alzheimer's has significantly increased the accumulation of harmful plaques in the brain. Credits: Kipnis lab
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