Brain-Body Missing Bits Found

Screen Shot 93I don’t expect this causes much of a stir for most folks, but it certainly got my attention, especially after teaching Human A & P for so many years:

Recently discovered: previously invisible lymphatic vessels that connect the brain’s circulation directly to the rest of the body.

Missing link found between brain, immune system; major disease implications — ScienceDaily

Concealed by their fine structure and intimate association with blood vessels of the brain, these fine tubes could hold the secret to both disease and cure.

I’ve not been able to find more recent elaboration on this news, but it does seem to have been peer reviewed and valid as an observation.  The So-WHAT will have to wait, and I will be following with interest.

Alzheimer’s disease may be among those disorders to be better understood and possibly treated by the application of this new avenue of transport for immune cells and pharmaceuticals.

Share this with your friends!
fred
fred

Fred First holds masters degrees in Vertebrate Zoology and physical therapy, and has been a biology teacher and physical therapist by profession. He moved to southwest Virginia in 1975 and to Floyd County in 1997. He maintains a daily photo-blog, broadcasts essays on the Roanoke NPR station, and contributes regular columns for the Floyd Press and Roanoke's Star Sentinel. His two non-fiction books, Slow Road Home and his recent What We Hold in Our Hands, celebrate the riches that we possess in our families and communities, our natural bounty, social capital and Appalachian cultures old and new. He has served on the Jacksonville Center Board of Directors and is newly active in the Sustain Floyd organization. He lives in northeastern Floyd County on the headwaters of the Roanoke River.

Articles: 3007

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. We can only hope that it will have some bearing on Alzheimer’s–the scourge of our generation! I didn’t click on the article, though. I try to read lighter stuff than ScienceDaily. (Quite an admission, I know!)