Structural and Functional Features of Central Nervous System Lymphatic Vessels

It was previously thought that the central nervous system did not have a connection to the immune system through lymphatic vessels, but Louveau et al. recently discovered lymphatic vessels in the dural sinuses of the brain in mice. The dural sinuses drain blood from the brain. Lymphatic vessels are part of the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. The lymphatic system carries lymph from tissues in the body, and lymph contains white blood cells which protect the body against infections. Previously, little was known about the connection between the central nervous system and the immune system, but now there is evidence about how they are connected. The authors also found that the newly discovered lymphatic vessels drain cerebrospinal fluid, which is fluid that cushions the brain. The authors note that a malfunction of these vessels might be the cause of several neurological disorders that are influenced by the immune system, such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Benjamin Greenberg, Director of the Transverse Myelitis and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Program at the University of Texas Southwestern, stated that “For patients with TM and NMO this research is meaningful. We are constantly trying to gain understanding into the biologic basis for inflammatory events. Recognition of a lymphatic system within the central nervous system allows us to pursue new theories about how and why inflammation occur.”

Louveau A, Smirnov I, Keyes TJ. Structural and functional features of central nervous system lymphatic vessels. Nature. 2015.