Immune system supports brain function
Description: Aging is associated with cognitive decline, which can manifest pathologically as age-related dementia and is also the major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. There is currently no effective treatment for age-associated dementia and no therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. Our long-standing interest in the meninges and its role in brain function has led us to characterize meningeal lymphatic vessels and to observe many intriguing changes in meningeal immunity with age, and accordingly to raise the questions: are meningeal immune and lymphatic alterations relevant to age-related cognitive decline? If so, could meningeal lymphatic vessels or meningeal immune cells be therapeutically targeted to alleviate age-related dementia and/or Alzheimer’s disease? Here, we will elucidate the role of meningeal vasculature and immunity in age-associated cognitive decline, dementia and mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease using state-of-the-art imaging, surgical and pharmacological techniques in mice, as well as a validation of select findings in human dura specimens from fresh autopsies. Our findings may have significant potential to uncover the etiology of and novel therapeutic targets for age-related dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. ! !
Funder: National Institute on Aging
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: R37
Start date: 2010-05-01
End date: 2030-05-31
Investigator: JONATHAN KIPNIS
Institution: WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Funded outputs count: 42
Funder award ID: R37AG034113
OpenAlex ID: G9000864001