UVM researchers unlock secrets of brain blood flow for cognitive health

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Researchers at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine have made a breakthrough that could help better understand the causes of dementia and stop it.

When you swing a tennis racket, walk the dog, or feel pressured at work, your blood begins to flow.

“Neurons send the messages we need blood, and then they stop the messages. But there is still an increase in the amount of blood, but the idea here is that we have discovered that there is a built-in braking system,” said Osama Harraz, a professor and researcher at Larner College of Medicine who leads a group of students who recently published in Nature Communications the discovery of the mechanism that stops the increased blood flow – a protein called Piezo1.

“Many, many diseases are associated with changes in blood flow in the brain – Alzheimer’s disease, age as a risk factor, vascular dementia, small vessel disease of the brain,” Harraz said.

By studying the brain responses of mice over a three-year period, the discovery could give researchers a clue as to why blood flow deteriorates and causes disease as we age.

Mohammad Elmandy is a member of Harraz’s team and is pleased that her work is already being featured in new studies around the world. “And as we get older, we’re all going to have some kind of dementia,” Elmandy said.

“Research is kind of like solving a puzzle, and I think that putting just a tiny piece of the puzzle together is worth it to create a bigger picture for everyone in the world,” said Xinrui Lim, a participating postdoctoral researcher in the study.

And what’s next for this group of scientists? You will find out what effect the protein has on a diseased brain.

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