Newswise — University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have revealed a vital but previously unknown role for immune cells that protect the brain from disease and injury: The cells, known as microglia, also help regulate blood flow and maintain the brain’s critical blood vessels.
In addition to revealing a new aspect of human biology, the findings may prove important in cognitive decline, dementia and stroke, among other conditions linked to diseases of the brain’s small vessels, the researchers say.
“Precise blood vessel function is critical to accommodate the extreme energy demands of the brain for normal brain function,” said UVA’s Ukpong B. Eyo, PhD, of UVA’s Department of Neuroscience, the UVA Brain Institute and UVA’s Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG). “These findings suggest previously unknown roles for these brain cells in the proper…
