FIDELITY ASSURANCE MECHANISMS OF THE BRAIN WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS IMMUNOGENIC CNS COMPARTMENT - THEIR ROLE IN AGING AND AGING-ASSOCIATED NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE

The greater longevity of humans over other mammalian species is provid ed, in large part, by the complex neural circuitry of the brain. Assur ance of the integrity of this circuitry is partly provided by its neur al plasticity. The brain is also protected from adverse systemic pheno mena by the blood-brain and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barriers. Howeve r, these barriers do not protect the brain from adverse phenomena that originate within the central nervous system. The brain and immune sys tems share many analogous characteristics; and an immunogenic compartm ent of the brain is described here that also has the capacity to assur e the integrity of its neural circuits and ifs autonomy. Finally, the role of this compartment in aging and in aging-dependent diseases is d iscussed.