The CNS Immune-Privilege Goes Down the Drain(age)

Abstract

Ongoing research is revealing multiple, previously unappreciated, facets of immunity in the central nervous system, and the recent studies on the meningeal lymphatic system represent an emblematic example. In this context, a paper from Louveau and colleagues (Nat. Neurosci. 2018;21:1380-1391), which we discuss here, elucidates the importance of the meningeal lymphatics for the drainage of macromolecules and immune cells from the cerebrospinal fluid, and their delivery into the cervical lymph nodes, especially during neuroinflammatory diseases.

Keywords: Brain immunity; experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis; meningeal T cells; meningeal lymphatic vessels; multiple sclerosis.