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Drain ‘pipes’ behind the nose clear cerebrospinal fluid from the brain

This study reveals a distinctive network of lymphatic vessels at the back of the nose that serves as a major hub for the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to deep cervical lymph nodes in the neck. These deep cervical lymphatics remain intact with ageing, and their pharmacological activation enhanced CSF drainage in mice.

This is a summary of: Yoon, J.-H. et al. Nasopharyngeal lymphatic plexus is a hub for cerebrospinal fluid drainage. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06899-4 (2024).

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03839-0

‘Expert opinion’ and the figure are published under a CC BY 4.0 licence.

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