Interstitium, 2

The network of tissues known as the Interstitium (pronounced "inter-stish-um"), appears to not only contain micronutrients and other substances that are needed by every body organ but also functions as a “distribution center” for then. It gets signals from body organs requesting specific substances that are thought to impact organ repair as well as the aging process. In addition, the Interstitium’s interstitial fluid may facilitate the transmission of these substances across the Blood Brain Barrier, providing them to the brain. Some are suggesting that the Interstitium may actually be a “new” body organ itself, although more research likely is needed to determine when this tissue can actually be classed as a separate body organ—a group of tissues having a unique structure and that perform specialized tasks (like the kidneys or heart, or liver, for example). Either way and regardless of “organ” designation, according to one of the study’s lead authors, Neil D. Theise, a pathology professor at New York University School of Medicine, understanding more about the Interstitium and interstitial fluid means that this discovery will likely trigger "a significant reassessment of anatomy affecting every organ of the body.”