Abstract
Commentary: Structural and functional features of central nervous system lymphatic vessels.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent an apparent pandemic threat to child development with the current CDC data documenting ASD affecting over 2% of U.S males of school age ([CDC] Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network Surveillance Year 2010 Principal, 2014)
We concur with the comment (Louveau et al, 2015) that; “the presence of a functional and classical lymphatic system in the central nervous system suggests that current dogmas regarding brain tolerance and the immune privilege of the brain should be revisited.”
The observations of increased extra-axial CSF (EAF) in the autism population with these new observations of a central lymphatic system connected to cervical lymph nodes, should direct more attention to the role of meningeal lymphatics in the pathogenesis of ASD
Summary
If the etiology of ASD is still mysterious, there is a growing consensus for the role of neuroinflammation in ASD pathogenesis (Fatemi et al, 2012), and the recent publication in Nature of the existence of the previously unknown meningeal lymphatic system, invites a closer evaluation of its potential significance to brain development (Louveau et al, 2015). The newly discovered meningeal lymphatic system might help explaining how immunological dysfunctions and peripheral chronic infection/inflammation may affect the meninges and, brain development.
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