As people get older, their risk of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s increases. One major reason is that the brain gets worse at cleaning itself. Normally, the brain has a way to wash out harmful waste. But with age, this system slows down, and toxic substances build up. This buildup may lead to the death of brain cells and the start of disease.
Now, scientists at the University of Rochester have found a way to restart the brain’s cleaning system in aging mice. The key lies in tiny vessels in the neck. These vessels are part of the body’s lymphatic system, which helps remove waste and extra fluids.
By using a drug that’s already in medical use, researchers were able to bring these vessels back to life and help the brain remove waste more effectively. This could lead to new treatments for brain diseases in older people.
The brain’s cleaning system is called the glymphatic system. It works mainly while we sleep and uses a clear fluid called cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, to flush out waste. This waste includes proteins like beta-amyloid and alpha-synuclein.
These are the same harmful proteins that are often found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. In young and healthy brains, CSF flows smoothly and removes this waste. But in older brains, this system becomes weaker, and waste builds up.
For the waste to leave the brain fully, CSF must exit the skull and move into the body’s larger lymph system. This is the system that sends waste to the kidneys, where it is cleaned out and removed from the body. The researchers used special imaging tools to see how CSF moves out of the brain. They found that about half of it leaves through tiny vessels in the neck.
These vessels are not like blood vessels, which have the heart to pump blood. Instead, they rely on small pumping sections called lymphangions. These pumps help push fluid forward, and tiny valves stop it from flowing backward. But as mice aged, the researchers noticed these pumps started to weaken.
The vessels didn’t contract as often, and the valves didn’t work well. Because of this, waste moved much slower—about 63% slower in older mice compared to younger ones.
To solve this, the researchers tested a drug called prostaglandin F2α. This drug is already used in hospitals to help with childbirth. It works by making certain muscles contract. Since lymphangions are made of smooth muscle cells, the team wondered if the drug could make these tiny pumps work better.
The results were exciting. When older mice were given this drug, their lymph vessels started pumping more often. The flow of CSF improved, and the brain was able to clear out waste at the same speed as in younger mice. The researchers didn’t even need to reach deep into the body—the neck vessels are close to the skin, so the treatment could be applied in a simple way in the future.
Dr. Douglas Kelley, one of the lead scientists, said this discovery could be a first step in creating new treatments for brain diseases related to aging. Instead of creating a whole new drug, the team used one that already exists, which means testing in humans could happen more quickly.
This research shows that helping the brain clean itself could be an effective way to fight diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. If doctors can keep the brain’s waste-removal system working well, it might prevent the harmful buildup of toxic proteins. That could mean fewer people developing these diseases and a better quality of life as we grow older.
While this study was done in mice, the findings are an exciting sign of what may be possible in humans. With more research, this simple method could one day help millions of people stay mentally healthy as they age.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies that Vitamin B may slow down cognitive decline, and Mediterranean diet could help lower risk of Parkinson’s.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that blueberry supplements may prevent cognitive decline, and results showing Plant-based diets could protect cognitive health from air pollution.
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