Neuro-lymphaphotonics opens new horizons of the future technologies for the therapy of brain diseases - Review

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick

Pharmacological treatment of brain diseases is constrained by the blood-brain barrier, which blocks most drugs from entering the brain, discouraging investment in new neurotropic therapeutics. Even after effective strategies are identified, drug development to market typically takes 10–15 years. Neuro-lymphaphotonics is presented as a prioritized non-pharmacological approach by targeting meningeal lymphatic vessels (MLVs), which remove toxins and metabolites, regulate brain homeostasis, and support immunity. Light can reach MLVs for photobiomodulation, offering non-invasive, safe, and potentially portable future technologies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

MLVs as the targets for photobiomodulation (PBM)

Theranostics 2026, Vol. 16, Issue 2 776 Ivyspring International Publisher Theranostics 2026; 16(2): 776-793. doi: 10.7150/thno.120374 Review Neuro-lymphaphotonics opens new horizons of the future technologies for the therapy of brain diseases Shaojun Liu1, Oxana Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya2􀀍, Tingting Yu1, Egor Ilukov1, Edik Rafailov3, Sergey Sokolovski3, Jürgen Kurths4,5, Dan Zhu1􀀍 1. MOE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China. 2. Department of Biology, Saratov State University, Astrakhanskaya 82, Saratov, Russia, 410012. 3. Optoelectronics and Biomedical Photonics Group, AIPT, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK. 4. Institute of Physics, Humboldt University, Newtonstrasse 15, Berlin, 12489, Germany. 5. Department of Complexity Science, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Telegrafenberg A31, Potsdam, 14473, Germany. 􀀍 Corresponding author: [dawnzh@mail.hust.edu.cn](dawnzh@mail.hust.edu.cn); [glushkovskaya@mail.ru](glushkovskaya@mail.ru). © The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ([https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)). See [https://ivyspring.com/terms](https://ivyspring.com/terms) for full terms and conditions. Received: 2025.06.26; Accepted: 2025.09.13; Published: 2026.01.01 Abstract Pharmacological treatment of brain diseases is hampered by the blood-brain barrier that prevents the vast majority of drugs from entering the brain. For this reason, the pharmaceutical industry is reluctant to invest in the development of new neurotropic drugs. Even if effective pharmacological strategies for the treatment of brain diseases will be found, it will take 10-15 years between the emergence of an idea and the introduction of a drug to the market. This creates priority for the development of neuro-lymphaphotonics based on the development of promising non-pharmacological strategies for managing functions of themeningeal lymphatic vessels (MLVs) . MLVs play a crucial role in the removal of toxins and metabolites from brain as well as in regulation of brain homeostasis and its immunity. Since MLVs are located on the brain surface, light penetrating the skull easily reaches MLVs and affects their functions. Therefore, MLVs are an ideal target for photobiomodulation (PBM) . The pioneering studies have shown that PBM of MLVs is a promising strategy for the treatment of a wide range of neuropathology, including Alzheimer's or age-related brain diseases, brain tumor, intracranial hemorrhage, brain damages caused by diabetes. It has recently been discovered that sleep enhances the therapeutic effects of PBM and is a "therapeutic window" in overcoming the limitations of PBM in the elderly. Considering that the PBM technologies are non-invasive and safe with commercially viable possibilities (portability and low cost), neuro-lymphaphotonics open up promising prospects for the development of future technologies for the effective therapy of brain diseases. 1. MLVs as the targets for photobiomodulation (PBM) The meningeal lymphatic system is a transparent network of thin vessels located in the dura mater of the brain and the spinal cord around the main venous sinuses and the meningeal arteries. It is known that there are two types of the meningeal lymphatic vessels (MLVs), dorsal and ventral [1] . The difference is that the dorsal MLVs have valves and are directly involved in the drainage of brain tissue, while ventral ones do not have valves and form tunnels for the passive movement of brain fluids from the central nervous system (CNS) to the periphery. MLVs were discovered two centuries ago by the Italian anatomist Paulo Mascagni, but only in 2015 his discovery was recognized by the scientific community [2

FAQs

Why is drug development for brain diseases challenging?

The blood-brain barrier prevents most drugs from entering the brain, making pharmaceutical investment in new neurotropic drugs less likely.

What are meningeal lymphatic vessels (MLVs) and why do they matter?

MLVs remove toxins and metabolites from the brain and help regulate brain homeostasis and immunity.

How does photobiomodulation (PBM) relate to treating brain diseases?

Because MLVs lie on the brain surface, light penetrating the skull can reach them, allowing PBM to influence their functions and potentially treat various neuropathologies.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick