Possible Link Between Brain and Immune System Could Contradict Textbooks

Decades upon decades of received teaching could be thrown out of the window with a new discovery from a team of scientists at the University of Virginia in the United States. A previously undiscovered layer of vessels, hiding just under the surface of the skull and comprising part of the brain’s covering, point to the potential link.

Although the research is in its early stage, the very fact that an additional structure of the lymphatic system (the network of vessels which carry immune cells instead of blood) has been discovered is remarkable in itself.

“These vessels were just not supposed to be there based on what we know,” explained Jonathan Kipnis, the lead scientist on the study. “I thought the body was mapped and that these discoveries ended somewhere around the middle of the last century. But apparently they have not.”

A Link to Mental Illness

Up until recently, the idea that poor physical health and a damaged immune system could have any effect on mental states was thought to be nonsense. However, this new discovery is just the latest in a growing body of evidence which may connect a weak immune system with mental illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and depression.

An earlier study revealed that diabetes' sufferers were 65% more likely to develop dementia later in life. Meanwhile, those who struggle with Alzheimer’s disease are more likely to suffer greater symptoms of memory loss and mental deterioration if they expose themselves to coughs, colds and other physical niggles.

As things stand, the research is clearly in its early stages. This previously-undiscovered network of vessels is currently only proven to be part of the cerebral covering – or meninges – which textbooks had treated with little interest up until now. As yet, the network has not been conclusively proven to have links with the brain itself.

Furthermore, there is also a chance that mental deterioration and physical poor health are a coincidence, or are both effects of another, external cause. However, should the team further their findings and add weight to their case, it could revolutionise the way diseases such as depression are treated.

Connecting Two Key Areas of Research

Some time ago, medical research centres were placing great emphasis on neuroscience investigations in order to try and find a cure for spinal cord injuries, and the subsequent impact these injuries had on the brain and the subject’s cognitive functions.

Meanwhile, back in 2013, a £1.3 million grant awarded to the University of Dundee was intended to further research into boosting our immune system to try and prevent physical disease. This new discovery could link the two areas, and shed light on a plethora of previously unexplored treatment options. Either way, the future is looking positive for our ability to handle ailments of the brain and the immune system, both physical and mental.