Brain drainage through the cribriform plate harbors its own lymphatic system
Original title: The Cribriform Plate Path for Cerebrospinal Fluid Drainage Also Has a Glymphatic System
Researchers have identified a previously overlooked cerebrospinal fluid drainage route: microscopic pores measuring 2 to 12 micrometers in the arachnoid membrane, positioned between the olfactory bulbs and the cribriform plate, that allow brain waste to flow directly into meningeal lymphatic vessels and onward to cervical lymph nodes. This finding, confirmed in cynomolgus monkeys as well, reveals that aging progressively deteriorates this brain-cleaning pathway, yet it can be functionally restored. When researchers blocked these pores with microspheres, cerebrospinal fluid drainage dropped dramatically, proving their critical role in waste removal. The most striking result: administering a vascular endothelial growth factor intranasally expanded surrounding lymphatic vessels and restored drainage in aged mice to levels matching young animals—suggesting a non-invasive therapeutic avenue to counter the toxic protein accumulation driving Alzheimer's.
Editorial summary by LongevityMap. For the full article and references, visit Fight Aging!.