Researchers in mechanical engineering and neuroscience have collaborated to describe for the first time the route in the neck through which half of the dirty cerebrospinal fluid exits our brain, and a possible drug that could help restore that flow as we age.
Scientists at the University of Rochester found that aging slows the brain’s ability to clear harmful waste, increasing the risk of neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s.
By studying mice, researchers discovered that restoring function to neck lymph vessels can help the brain’s waste-removal system. They used a drug, prostaglandin F2α, which is normally used to induce labor, to revive these vessels in older mice.
This improved the brain’s waste-clearing ability, showing potential for future therapies to treat brain aging disorders.
But in all seriousness, the summary is:
Scientists at the University of Rochester found that aging slows the brain’s ability to clear harmful waste, increasing the risk of neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s.
By studying mice, researchers discovered that restoring function to neck lymph vessels can help the brain’s waste-removal system. They used a drug, prostaglandin F2α, which is normally used to induce labor, to revive these vessels in older mice.
This improved the brain’s waste-clearing ability, showing potential for future therapies to treat brain aging disorders.