Venous-plexus-associated lymphoid hubs support meningeal humoral immunity. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38509366/)

These scientists have been studying how immune cells in the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord can help protect our body from diseases. They found that the outer layer of these membranes, called the dura mater, contains special structures called dural-associated lymphoid tissues (DALT) that help fight off germs.

One of the most important DALT structures they discovered is called the rostral-rhinal venolymphatic hub, which is like a protective hub that surrounds blood vessels in the dura mater. This hub helps the body make antibodies to fight off infections, especially when we breathe in germs through our nose.

The scientists found that when they stopped immune cells from entering this protective hub during a viral infection, the body couldn't make enough antibodies to fight off the virus. This shows how important these structures are in helping our body stay healthy and fight off diseases.

Fitzpatrick Z., Ghabdan Zanluqui N., Rosenblum JS., Tuong ZK., Lee CYC., Chandrashekhar V., Negro-Demontel ML., Stewart AP., Posner DA., Buckley M., Allinson KSJ., Mastorakos P., Chittiboina P., Maric D., Donahue D., Helmy A., Tajsic T., Ferdinand JR., Portet A., Penalver A., Gillman E., Zhuang Z., Clatworthy MR., McGavern DB. Venous-plexus-associated lymphoid hubs support meningeal humoral immunity. Nature. 2024 Mar 20. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07202-9.