Discovered: the central nervous system lymphatic system

@ Nature, Published online 01 June 2015:

  Structural and functional features of central nervous system lymphatic vessels

 * Antoine Louveau ,  * Igor Smirnov ,  * Timothy J. Keyes ,  * Jacob D. Eccles ,  * Sherin J. Rouhani ,  * J. David Peske ,  * Noel C. Derecki ,  * David Castle ,  * James W. Mandell ,  * Kevin S. Lee ,  * Tajie H. Harris  * & Jonathan Kipnis

Nature  (2015)  doi:10.1038/nature14432       Received: 30 October 2014        Accepted: 20 March 2015      Published online: 01 June 2015

One of the characteristics of the central nervous system is the lack of a classical lymphatic drainage system. Although it is now accepted that the central nervous system undergoes constant immune surveillance that takes place within the meningeal compartment1, 2, 3, the mechanisms governing the entrance and exit of immune cells from the central nervous system remain poorly understood4, 5, 6.

In searching for T-cell gateways into and out of the meninges, we discovered functional lymphatic vessels lining the dural sinuses.

These structures express all of the molecular hallmarks of lymphatic endothelial cells, are able to carry both fluid and immune cells from the cerebrospinal fluid, and are connected to the deep cervical lymph nodes. The unique location of these vessels may have impeded their discovery to date, thereby contributing to the long-held concept of the absence of lymphatic vasculature in the central nervous system.

1. The discovery of the central nervous system lymphatic system may call for a reassessment of basic assumptions in neuroimmunology and sheds new light on the aetiology of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases associated with immune system dysfunction. _________________________________________