Towards monitoring (g)lymphatic system

Project leader: Associate Professor Teemu Myllylä

Recent findings on dementia propose that a malfunction of the brain clearance mechanism called (g)lymphatic system leads to a slow accumulation of proteins and finally, neuronal degeneration, causing such as Alzheimer’s disease. This project focuses on developing new methods to monitor blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening/permeability and to study its relation to brain clearance mechanism and (g)lymphatic system. Optical brain imaging combined with other imaging techniques plays an important role in this research. We apply new approaches to brain imaging which require the latest sensor technologies, methods and algorithms to be developed. The imaging techniques in development will allow us to study brain metabolism and such functional brain mechanisms that are currently not possible to study with existing brain imaging techniques. Our translational research is conducted in collaboration with Oulu University Hospital, Biocenter Oulu and with many international research centers with leading experts in the field.