"The Brain's Fluid Highway: From Lymphatic Discovery to Mechanistic Integration"

ABSTRACT

  To ensure brain homeostasis for normal cognitive functions, waste products including toxic proteins and metabolic byproducts must be cleared continuously.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is responsible for brain waste clearance, but knowledge of precise drainage pathways has been limited. Understanding the intracranial and extracranial lymphatic vessels involved in CSF drainage is crucial and has tremendous potential for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. However, identifying the exact lymphatic connections for CSF drainage has been elusive due to the anatomical complexity.

  Using CSF tracers in lymphatic reporter mice (Prox1-GFP), I discovered the most precise and detailed map of extracranial lymphatics connecting intracranial lymphatics to cervical lymph nodes. This revealed that the nasopharyngeal lymphatic plexus serves as the major hub for CSF drainage through its specialized connections. These findings were further extended to age-related alterations that properly explain the delayed CSF drainage observed with aging. Furthermore, the data demonstrated that targeting the extracranial lymphatics for CSF drainage modulation was feasible. Moreover, my recent study showed that the superficial cervical lymphatics that connect to superficial cervical lymph nodes are also responsible for substantial CSF drainage. Since these superficial lymphatics are located just beneath the facial skin and are therefore accessible for targeting, I applied non-invasive mechanical stimulation and demonstrated that CSF drainage can be modulated extracranially in aged mice and primates. In addition to these findings, future directions will be discussed for comprehensive understanding of CSF physiology, drainage mechanisms, brain interactions, and their clinical applications.

*The seminar will be held both offline and online via Zoom  (https://kaist.zoom.us/j/88244379581)

 * Inquiry: Prof.  Yong Jeong (extension 4324)