Scientists discover new 'immune hubs' in skull bone marrow
In mouse skull marrow, 'immune hubs' that actively defend the brain have been discovered. Similar cells exist in human skulls, but their role remains unclear.
Scientists have discovered new immune hubs in the skull bone marrow that may play a proactive role in defending the brain. These lymph node-like structures in the bone marrow of mouse skulls were found to respond to brain tumors before more distant lymph nodes in the neck. When disrupted in mice with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, the tumors grew faster and the animals died sooner.
Senior study author Jonathan Kipnis emphasized that the skull should no longer be viewed as merely a protective shell for the brain, but as a place containing specialized immune environments capable of responding locally to changes within the brain. While the research has only been demonstrated in mice, the discovery of similar immune cells in human skull marrow suggests that these immune hubs may exist in humans as well.
This new understanding of the immune system's role in the skull could potentially lead to novel strategies for treating brain tumors and other brain-related diseases.
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