A New Discovery in the Brain
- Saki Kuramoto
- Feb 8, 2023
- 1 min read
By: Saki Kuramoto
Very recently, researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Rochester discovered a new layer in brain anatomy. Previously, it was known that there were three membrane layers between the skull and the brain: Dura mater, Arachnoid mater, and Pia mater. Published in the University of Rochester Newsroom on January 5th, 2023, the researchers explained their discovery of a fourth membrane called subarachnoid lymphatic-like membrane (SLYM).
The Discovery
The new study was from Maiken Nedergard, a co-director of a research group at the University of Rochester and the University of Copenhagen, and Kjeld Møllgård, M.D., a professor at the University of Copenhagen. Maiken Nedergard explains why this membrane was undiscovered till now. Modern brain scanning is unable to see as SLYM is a very thin layer of the membrane. Another reason is that the membrane disintegrates from the skull/brain after the body is dead.
Its Role
SLYM regulates the exchanging and dissolving of substances throughout the compartments of the brain. It was also discovered that the SLYM contained numerous brain-specific immune cells and may be able to detect infections in the cerebrospinal fluid. SLYM could play another vital role in the glymphatic system by inducing an influx of cerebrospinal fluid and flushing out toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease and other neurological conditions in the near future.
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