Brain Capillary Mechanosensation by Piezo1 Channels in Health and Disease
As blood moves through a narrow brain blood vessel, it imposes mechanical forces on the vessel wall, raising an important question: do capillaries (the very smallest blood vessels) sense the forces associated with flowing blood? This research will
examine how blood vessels sense these forces and influence changes in blood flow in the mouse brain using genetically engineered mice and advanced imaging techniques. The ultimate goal of these studies is to provide results that lead to strategies
for preventing deficits in brain blood flow in human diseases such as hypertension, which plays a major role in brain aging.