'Pocket Science' podcast: Why don't I slosh when I walk?

Human beings are mostly water, and about a fifth of that water is interstitial fluid, flowing in the spaces between our cells. Jenny Munson tells us how understanding that fluid flow can be harnessed to better treat cancer, Alzheimer's and other diseases.

By Matt Chittum

26 Feb 2025

Approximately a 2 minute read

Humans are 60 percent water, but where is that water? Jenny Munson, a world leader in the study of interstitial fluid flow, answers that question, explains how the movement of the fluid between our cells changes in diseases like brain cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, and how that understanding is being used to improve treatments of those conditions and others.

"These interstitial fluid flows, they've been studied for decades across the body, and there's some universal truths to them and how they move and how they cause different cells and tissues to change and function … during disease, such as cancer, but also in Alzheimer's disease," Munson said.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5NaomBJfEidF4xwgYPGo0L?si=cq0is2g7SDyEmqoa6Yhg_A

About "Pocket Science"

"Pocket Science" is a compact guide to the human body and how it works, powered by the world-class scientists of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. We ask fundamental questions about the human body, health, and disease, and get answers from research institute experts, who also tell us how their research illuminates these systems and how to better treat the diseases that affect them.

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