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Press Releases & Research Commentary

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New Imaging Method Illuminates Oxygen's Journey in the Brain

Thursday, March 28, 2024

The human brain consumes vast amounts of energy, which is almost exclusively generated from a form of metabolism that requires oxygen.  While the efficient and timely delivery of oxygen is known to be critical to healthy brain function, the precise mechanics of this process have largely remained hidden from scientists. 

A new bioluminescence imaging technique, described today in the journal Science, has created highly detailed, and visually striking, images of the movement of oxygen in the brains of mice.  The method, which can be easily replicated by other labs, will enable researchers to more precisely study forms of hypoxia in the brain, such as the denial of oxygen to the brain that occurs during a stroke or heart attack. The new research tool is already providing insight into why a sedentary lifestyle may increase risk for diseases like Alzheimer’s. 

“This research demonstrates that we can monitor changes in oxygen concentration continuously and in a wide area of the brain,” said Maiken Nedergaard, co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine (CTN), which is based at both the University of Rochester and the University of Copenhagen. “This provides us a with a more detailed picture of what is occurring in the brain in real time, allowing us to identify previously undetected areas of temporary hypoxia, which reflect changes in blood flow that can trigger neurological deficits.” 

Read More: New Imaging Method Illuminates Oxygen's Journey in the Brain

Nedergaard Recognized with Nakasone Award for Pioneering Research

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Maiken Nedergaard, MD, DMSc, has been recognized by the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO) with its 2024 Nakasone Award for her “groundbreaking discovery and exploration” of the glymphatic system, the brain’s unique waste removal system, and the role that sleep plays in its function.  

“Dr. Nedergaard forever changed the way we understand sleep as an essential biological function that promotes brain health and plays a crucial role in preventing diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases,” said HFSPO secretary-general Pavel Kabat. “It is a fundamental discovery worthy of being honored with the 2024 HFSPO Nakasone Award.”

Nedergaard is co-director for the Center for Translational Neuromedicine, which maintains research facilities at the University of Rochester Medical Center and the University of Copenhagen.  In 2012, her lab first described the glymphatic system, a previously unknown network of channels that piggybacks on blood vessels.  The system is used to transport cerebrospinal fluid deep into brain tissue and flush away toxic waste, including beta amyloid and tau, two proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease. 

Read More: Nedergaard Recognized with Nakasone Award for Pioneering Research