Overview

• Fluorescent tracer studies in genetically modified mice and monkeys revealed a new drainage route from the brain through lymphatic vessels under facial skin to superficial cervical lymph nodes.
• A force-regulated handheld device that gently presses and strokes the neck and face doubled cerebrospinal fluid clearance and reversed age-related decline in mice.
• Unlike deeper lymphatic pathways that degenerate with age, the newly identified superficial vessels remained functional and accessible through the skin.
• The research team is developing wearable or clinical devices based on this method and planning initial trials to assess its feasibility in humans.
• Published June 4 in Nature, the study builds on IBS’s 2019 and 2024 work mapping meningeal lymphatics and suggests non-drug approaches could aid Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment.