Novel Approaches to Targeting the Vasculature and Metabolome to Prevent Brain Aging and Related Diseases
The human brain is highly metabolically active and expends about 20% of the body’s energy just for normal functioning. Neuronal activation locally leads to a transient increase in cerebral blood flow – a process called neurovascular coupling, thus ensuring that bioenergetic substrates are efficiently delivered to that region of the brain. Neurovascular coupling is brought about by the coordinated action of neurons, astrocytes and other glial cells, and endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells forming the blood vessels, collectively termed as the neurovascular unit. The neurovascular unit also functions to keep the blood brain barrier (BBB) intact. Normal neurovascular and neurometabolic coupling as well as BBB function are essential to maintain brain homeostasis and for proper cognitive function. As the brain ages, there is significant impairment of neurovascular coupling and the integrity of the BBB which leads to insufficient blood flow to the brain, reduced delivery of oxygen and b