Noh, that's what I call a brain drain. A newly described component of the human brain's waste disposal system has been discovered. A network of lymphatic vessels called the middle meningeal artery plays a central role in clearing waste from the human brain, according to a team of researchers who recently published their work. conclusions V iScience.
Scientists led by Onder Albayram, a neuroscientist at the Medical University of South Carolina, conducted five hours of MRI scans to track the flow of fluid surrounding the brain in five healthy adults. They noted a slow flow of fluid from the lower part of the brain in real time, suggesting that this represents lymphatic vessels passively channeling waste to be removed from the brain.
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To confirm these MRI findings, they used high-resolution images to map the area of the brain around the middle meningeal artery, noting the presence of several different cell types. This map showed an area filled with cells commonly found in other lymphatic vessels of the body.
Surprisingly, the anatomical details of the brain's lymphatic system are not well understood. These findings, even though they are from an extremely small group of people, may begin to clarify the dark corners of the brain and provide basic knowledge that can be used to diagnose and treat dysfunction in these new systems. “A major challenge in brain research is that we still do not fully understand how the healthy brain functions and ages,” Albayram said in his report. statement. “Once we understand what 'normal' looks like, we can recognize early signs of the disease and develop more effective treatments.”
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