AD/PD 2022 | Blocking lymphatic drainage in the brain increases oxidative stress and protein decarbonylation

Laura Santambrogio, MD, PhD, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, describes her study looking at the overall changes in brain homeostasis if lymphatic drainage is blocked. When lymphatic drainage is blocked, redox changes because the homeostatic conditions are altered, meaning cells do not produce enough NADH to control oxidative stress. Consequently, there are increased levels of oxidative stress in the brain: this triggers a cascade of events, including low-grade inflammation, cellular damage, and protein decarbonylation, a known trigger of protein unfolding. It was concluded that these events cause a molecular signature similar to early aging. This interview took place at the AD/PD™ 2022 International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases hosted in Barcelona, Spain.