Scientists have discovered a complex network of tiny nanotubes within brain tissue, previously unknown to modern neuroanatomy. This discovery may pave the way for a deeper understanding of how the brain gets rid of toxic waste associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
This study was conducted by a team from Harvard University, where the researchers, led by Dr. Zhongchao Ran, observed hollow tubular threads intertwined with blood vessels and distributed in multiple regions of the cerebral cortex and deeper regions such as the hippocampus and hypothalamus.
## Hope for Alzheimer’s patients
Tests showed the presence of these tubes in the brains of healthy mice and mice with Alzheimer’s-like changes. Similar structures have also been found in human brain samples, both from someone with the disease and from someone without it, suggesting that these channels are not limited to diseased tissue only.
The researchers believe that these structures, which they call “nano-lymphatic vessels (NLVs),” may be part of a delicate drainage system that transports fluids and waste out of the brain. It is worth noting that the concept of the glymphatic system was proposed in 2012 to describe the fluid drainage paths along the blood vessels, especially during sleep, as the cerebrospinal fluid moves deeper into the nervous tissue.
But what is new in this study is the observation of tubes that are much smaller than traditional capillaries, which made their detection possible only through advanced imaging techniques such as stretch microscopy, which allows tissue magnification to see nanoscale details.
Scientists believe that the accumulation of beta-amyloid protein, which is linked to the formation of plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, may be related to a defect in these channels, whether through blockage or a change in their structure. However, proving their actual ability to transport fluids requires further studies, including the use of electron microscopy and tracking the movement of fluids in living brains.
