A network of fluid-filled structures appear to serve as a waste disposal system for the brain Cerebrospinal fluid flows through these structures through the brain These channels could help flush away toxic waste proteins like amyloid or tau, which are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease TUESDAY, Oct. 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- The brain has a waste-disposal system that clears away junk proteins that contribute to the development of dementia and , a new study finds. Advanced imaging scans have revealed a network of fluid-filled structures along arteries and veins within the brain, researchers reported Oct.
7 in the . These structures allow cerebrospinal fluid to flow through the brain, potentially flushing out waste proteins like amyloid and tau, researchers said. Those toxic proteins build up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, creating plaques and tangles that are hallmarks of the disorder.
Previous research found these sort of fluid channels in the brains of mice, but this is the first time they’ve been confirmed to exist in humans as well, researchers said. “Nobody has shown it before now,” said senior researcher , an associate professor of pediatric neurology in the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Medicine. “This shows that cerebrospinal fluid doesn’t just get into the brain randomly, as if you put a sponge in a bucket of water,” Piantino added in a university news release.
“It goes through these channels.” For the study, researche.