First-Ever Molecular Atlas of Blood Vessel Pathways in Human Brain Built by International Consortium of Researchers

Introduction

On July 10, 2024, an international consortium of researchers announced that they have successfully constructed the first-ever molecular atlas of the human brain vasculature at single-cell resolution, covering the early developmental stages, adulthood, and disease stages such as brain tumors and brain vascular malformations.

The Research Team and Methodology

The consortium includes research teams from various healthcare and research organizations, such as University Health Network in Toronto, University of Zurich, Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, University of Geneva, and ETH Zurich. In this study, the research team isolated blood vessels from the human early developing brains, adult brains, brain tumors, and brain vascular malformations. They found that endothelial cells, which regulate interactions between the bloodstream and surrounding tissues, behaved differently across various stages of brain development.

Implications of the Research

The findings of the research have several implications and might open up doors for future therapeutic options. “By understanding how these pathways grow and behave during early brain development, how they are silenced in the adult healthy brain, and how they get reactivated in disease, it will provide more insight into the normal functioning of the human brain vasculature and open doors to future therapeutic options,” says Dr. Thomas Walchli, corresponding author of the study and a consultant neurosurgeon at University College London’s Victor Horsley Department of Neurosurgery. He added that this research aims to build momentum in the field of brain vascular biology.

Findings of the Study

The vasculature in an adult healthy brain stops growing almost completely over time, but a brain tumor or a brain vascular malformation can reactivate blood vessel growth in the brain tissue, similar to the blood vessel growth in an early developing brain. This finding has never been described before. The research team also showed for the first time how the human brain vasculature differs from the vasculature of organs outside the brain, both during early brain development and in adulthood. Moreover, when disease arises, the brain vasculature becomes more like that of a peripheral organ. In disease, the typical features of the human brain vasculature are partially altered.

Applications of the Research

The research team discovered that the endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier, which acts as the brain’s “filter” and gatekeeper for substances, toxins and drugs, can trigger an immune response. “If we can dampen or inhibit the growth of the blood vessels and at the same time boost the immune system, that has a potential application to therapy,” says Dr. Walchli. The hope is that if clinicians can one day combine these therapies targeting the vasculature with immunotherapies, they may be able to inhibit vascular growth and prolong patients’ survival.

The Importance of the Research

The importance of understanding the human brain vasculature is critical for researchers and clinicians to identify and develop new therapies and treatments for various brain diseases, such as brain tumors and stroke. “Both the early developing brain, and brain tumors and brain vascular malformations, feature blood vessel growth and immunosuppression which allow for undisturbed tissue growth,” says Dr. Walchli. “If we can detect the specific features in the brain vasculature that are shared between early developing brains and brain tumors (but are not present in the healthy normal brain), we could monitor the brain’s vasculature for growth patterns and be able to detect and treat disease at an earlier stage, improving patient outcomes.”

Conclusion

The construction of the first-ever molecular atlas of the human brain vasculature is a significant milestone in the field of healthcare and research. The findings might pave the way for the identification of vulnerabilities of abnormal brain vessels and the development of future therapeutic options for brain diseases. The research team’s discovery may also provide a very large data set that will be an important resource for researchers across the world. “The possibilities are endless,” says Dr. Walchli.

Originally Post From https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-07-molecular-atlas-blood-vessel-pathways.html

First Ever Molecular Atlas of Blood Vessel Pathways in Human Brain Created by Researchers