r/science • u/Potential_Being_7226 PhD | Psychology | Neuroscience • 13d ago

Neuroscience Boosting brain’s waste removal system improves memory in old mice | Researchers found that rejuvenating the lymphatic vessels in the brain enhanced recognition memory and restored synaptic function through an interleukin-6 (IL-6) pathway.

https://medicine.washu.edu/news/boosting-brains-waste-removal-system-improves-memory-in-old-mice/
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u/waltwalt 13d ago

I didn't realize we had a way to artificially flush the lymphatic system. If we can flush the lymphatic system artificially I would assume that would be tested on Alzheimer's patients?

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u/Potential_Being_7226 PhD | Psychology | Neuroscience 13d ago

This experimental treatment is not yet ready for use in humans. 

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u/Objective_Law5013 13d ago

Not this one but a different one is being trialed in Shanghai.

We collaborated with surgeons who specialise in LVA supermicrosurgery for maxillofacial tumours and lymphoedema to develop a procedure to relieve the blockage of the glymphatic system. This surgery employs supermicrosurgery techniques to create LVA connecting the bilateral cervical, deep lymphatic vessels to the veins, resulting in lymphatic trunk decompression, which allows the lymph fluid in the high-pressure lymphatic vessels to flow into the low-pressure venous system.

https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/37/3/e101641

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u/waltwalt 13d ago

That's usually the answer. I wonder if under the new government they will allow less ethical experiments to take place.

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u/Potential_Being_7226 PhD | Psychology | Neuroscience 13d ago

It doesn’t seem like they want experiments to take place at all… 

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u/waltwalt 13d ago

Just wait until someone makes it profitable for them.

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u/Potential_Being_7226 PhD | Psychology | Neuroscience 13d ago

It’s not about profits. It’s about safety and feasibility at this point. 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-024-01780-w

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u/Valdularo 13d ago

Why are you advocating for this? That’s really scary level thinking.

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u/waltwalt 13d ago

I'm not advocating for it, I'm just predicting where companies will go when they can just bribe the president directly for an EO to do whatever they want.

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u/Valdularo 13d ago

Ah ok cool. Thanks for clarifying.

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u/nishinoran 13d ago

Because when someone's illness is terminal we probably should be allowing them to experiment less cautiously.

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u/kalidoscopiclyso 13d ago

Read about the Freedom Cities that Trump wants to build. Minimal regulations on human experimentation