Advancements in Brain Lymphatic System and Its Involvement in Neurological Diseases

Very recently it has been found that a proper brain lymphatic drainage network exists in human vertebrae for maintaining the tissue water and solute balance, homeostasis, metabolism, and immunity. The brain lymphatic system is also termed as glymphatic (glial-lymphatic) system due to glial-cells-dependent lymphatic transport. Physiologically, it is analogous to normal lymphatic system and helps in maintaining immune surveillance. Interestingly, this system works most effectively when the brain is fast asleep. Glymphatic clearance can be affected by a variety of factors including sleep deprivation, genetic disorders, aging, and even body postures. The scathing in glymphatic system could affect the proper brain functioning and can be involved in pathogenesis of various neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinsonism, and stroke. In this chapter, all the aspects related to glymphatic system are covered including the glymphatic pathway, its components, and physiological functions. Special emphasis has been given to impairments and dysfunctions in the glymphatic drug delivery system and possible targets in lymphatic system for treating the major neurological disorders like neurovascular and neuroinflammatory diseases, brain injury, brain tumor, and HIV-associated neurological disorderNeurological disorders.