
Neurological
Research
Structural and Functional Features of Central Nervous System Lymphatic Vessels
Structural & functional features of the CNS lymphatic system connect brain to immune system

An important discovery connecting the brain to the immune system was made in 2015 by researchers at the University of Virginia. It overturns decades of textbook teaching that considered the brain impermeable to the immune system and its changes. The brain is directly connected to the immune system by lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic vessels are responsible for moving cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, deeply throughout the brain.
The lymphatic system serves as a connection between tissues and the bloodstream and other immune cells. This connection and possible therapeutic implications will be studied to determine its possible role in all neurological diseases like autoimmune encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, stroke, Parkinsons, autism and more.