New research published in Scientific Reports has revealed that the human body contains a network of fluid-filled channels that had previously been undiscovered. The spaces called interstitial were found all around the body’s connective tissues which lines things like your digestive tract and lungs. According to Neil Theise of New York University School of Medicine via the New Scientist, the area holds nearly a fifth of the body’s fluids. Theise’s team adds that the interstitial may also explain how cancer cells spread from one area of the body to another.
According to scientist Neil Theise, the interstitium is the largest organ in the body by volume and could explain many of modern medicine’s mysteries such as the energetic healing jolt experienced through acupuncture.
Scientific Reports volume 8, Article number: 4947 (2018)
The interstitial space is the primary source of lymph and is a major fluid compartment in the body. While the anatomy and composition of the interstitial space between cells is increasingly understood, the existence, location, and structure of larger inter- and intra-tissue spaces is described only vaguely in the literature. This is particularly important in reference to “third spacing” (interstitial fluid build-up) and when considering overall interstitial fluid flow and volume, which have not been well studied.
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