In a rather enlightening study, published in the journal Nature, researchers from the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine, have been able to zero in on the connection between the human brain and the immune system.
The researchers sought to explain the reasons behind deadly diseases like Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. They found that certain vessels, called meningeal lymphatic vessels, connect the brain to the peripheral immune system. These vessels have been previously unheard of, but have provided a breakthrough in treating the aforementioned ailments.
It was Dr Antoine Louveau, who detected the tiny vessels while mounting a mouse’s meninges. He observed vessel-like patterns in the distribution of immune cells on his slides. Through these lymphatic vessels, he was able to explain the reason behind the accumulations of large protein plaques in the brain.
The researchers opined that the lymph vessels were not able to remove these deposits from the brain, which culminated into the neurological diseases that show similar symptoms of accumulation of proteins in the brain.
Jonathon Kipnis, director of centre for brain immunology and glia at University of Virginia, said, “We believe that for every neurological disease that has an immune component to it, these vessels may play a major role. [It is] hard to imagine that these vessels would not be involved in a [neurological] disease with an immune component”.
The mysterious vessels were found influencing the ageing process as well, as they appeared different as people aged.
Thus, the study provided immense evidence about the workings of the brain and the diseases that plague it.
The researchers sought to explain the reasons behind deadly diseases like Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. They found that certain vessels, called meningeal lymphatic vessels, connect the brain to the peripheral immune system. These vessels have been previously unheard of, but have provided a breakthrough in treating the aforementioned ailments.
It was Dr Antoine Louveau, who detected the tiny vessels while mounting a mouse’s meninges. He observed vessel-like patterns in the distribution of immune cells on his slides. Through these lymphatic vessels, he was able to explain the reason behind the accumulations of large protein plaques in the brain.
The researchers opined that the lymph vessels were not able to remove these deposits from the brain, which culminated into the neurological diseases that show similar symptoms of accumulation of proteins in the brain.
Jonathon Kipnis, director of centre for brain immunology and glia at University of Virginia, said, “We believe that for every neurological disease that has an immune component to it, these vessels may play a major role. [It is] hard to imagine that these vessels would not be involved in a [neurological] disease with an immune component”.
The mysterious vessels were found influencing the ageing process as well, as they appeared different as people aged.
Thus, the study provided immense evidence about the workings of the brain and the diseases that plague it.
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