Editorial: The Neurovascular Unit as a Potential Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Cerebrovascular Disease

Editorial on the Research Topic The Neurovascular Unit as a Potential Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Cerebrovascular Disease Introduction The brain is one of the most metabolically demanding organs—it requires 20% of the body's energy supply yet forms only 2% of the body's weight. [...]brain activity is supported by a dynamically regulated supply of blood and, hence, energy substrates through the cerebrovascular network. Furthermore, the post-mitotic nature of neurons and their longevity makes the brain very sensitive to extracellular perturbations. [...]the cerebrovasculature also has to be specialized to minimize perturbations of the brain microenvironment, a property mediated by the blood-brain barrier that is formed by the neurovascular unit (NVU). [...]Ren et al. suggest that disruptions in the glymphatic system, a hypothesized route of paravascular waste clearance, may be the cause of, and serve as a biomarker for, peri-operative neurocognitive disorder.