Not all blood vessels play equal roles in brain health. To uncover how the brain regulates its complex circulation, researchers built a detailed computer model of mouse brain vasculature. Focusing on transitional zone vessels—crucial links between arteries and capillaries—the model simulates how each segment adjusts like a tiny valve. It reveals how the brain stabilizes blood flow during pressure shifts or heightened activity, offering new insights into brain protection and potential breakthroughs in diagnosing stroke, Alzheimer’s, and traumatic brain injuries.

Approximately 350,000 chemicals are predicted to be commercially available worldwide. Little is known about which chemicals are potentially neurotoxic, meaning harmful to the (developing) brain. To date, efficient testing methods are lacking. A research team at the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) has now developed a screening approach based on the zebrafish embryo model that enables high-throughput neurotoxicity testing without the need for conventional animal experiments. In the study, the researchers uncovered the neurotoxic effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of the chemical chlorophene. The study was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.