Science & technology | The glymphatic system and dementia

Alzheimer’s researchers are studying the brain’s plumbing

Tweaking it may delay development of the disease

IN MOST BODILY organs waste matter is cleared out by the lymphatic system. Unnecessary proteins, superfluous fluids and so on are carried away by special vessels to lymph nodes, where they are filtered out and destroyed. The more active the organ, the more of these vessels there are. The exception is the brain, which has none. It was thus thought until recently that brain cells broke down nearby waste products in situ.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Brain drain”

Why Ukraine must win

From the April 2nd 2022 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Science & technology

A person's silhouette made up from a mix of multi coloured fragments of plastic

Should you worry about microplastics?

Little is known about the effects on humans—but limiting exposure to them seems prudent

Parasitic wasp - laying egg in hoverfly larvae.

Wasps stole genes from viruses

That probably assisted their evolutionary diversification


The World Health Organisation crest on the wall.

America’s departure from the WHO would harm everyone

Whether it is a negotiating ploy remains to be seen


Genetic engineering could help rid Australia of toxic cane toads

It is better than freezing them to death

High-tech antidotes for snake bites

Genetic engineering and AI are powering the search for antivenins

Can you breathe stress away?

It won’t hurt to try. But scientists are only beginning to understand the links between the breath and the mind