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Updated: Dec 31, 2025
Isolating Central Nervous System Tissues and Associated Meninges for the Downstream Analysis of Immune cells
Published on: May 19, 2020
Meningeal Lymphatics: From Anatomy to Central Nervous System Immune Surveillance
Zachary Papadopoulos1, Jasmin Herz2, Jonathan Kipnis2
1Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908.
Abstract:
At steady state, the CNS parenchyma has few to no lymphocytes and less potent Ag-presentation capability compared with other organs. However, the meninges surrounding the CNS host diverse populations of immune cells that influence how CNS-related immune responses develop. Interstitial and cerebrospinal fluid produced in the CNS is continuously drained, and recent advances have emphasized that this process is largely taking place through the lymphatic system. To what extent this fluid process mobilizes CNS-derived Ags toward meningeal immune cells and subsequently the peripheral immune system through the lymphatic vessel network is a question of significant clinical importance for autoimmunity, tumor immunology, and infectious disease. Recent advances in understanding the role of meningeal lymphatics as a communicator between the brain and peripheral immunity are discussed in this review.
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