Structural and functional features of central nervous system lymphatics, Louveau et al, 2015

Andy

Retired committee member
One of the characteristics of the CNS is the lack of a classical lymphatic drainage system. Although it is now accepted that the CNS undergoes constant immune surveillance that takes place within the meningeal compartment13, the mechanisms governing the entrance and exit of immune cells from the CNS remain poorly understood46. 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 CSF, 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 CNS. The discovery of the CNS lymphatic system may call for a reassessment of basic assumptions in neuroimmunology and shed new light on the etiology of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases associated with immune system dysfunction.
Open access, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4506234/
 
So they do not use functional to mean "software" but actually "hardware".

This only goes to show that everything is not known about the physical structures and workings of the brain which makes a mockery of MUS and FND.
 
Back
Top Bottom