As we age, our brains produce fewer anti-inflammatory molecules, which can lead to inflammation and age-related diseases. Now, scientists have discovered a way to restore these molecules, which could help keep the aging brain healthy.
Anti-inflammatory molecules are important for keeping the brain healthy. They help to protect cells and keep them functioning properly. decline with age, however, which can contribute to age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Now, scientists have found a way to restore these molecules in the aging brain. The team used a technique called “RNA interference” to target genes that produce inflammatory molecules. This allowed the team to reduce the levels of these molecules in the brain.
The results of the study are published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
This is an important discovery that could help to improve the health of the aging brain. Further research is needed to determine if this approach is safe and effective in humans.
Scientists have discovered a potential new target for treatments to improve cognitive function in old age.
A study led by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) has found that a specific group of molecules that play a role in inflammation decline in the aging brain.
The findings, published in the journal Neuron, could lead to the development of new therapeutics to treat age-related cognitive decline.
The USC team used a novel imaging technique to examine the levels of a class of molecules called “interleukin-1beta receptors” (IL-1R) in the brains of mice.
IL-1R are known to be involved in the inflammatory response, and previous studies have shown that they decline with age in a number of tissues.
The new study found that IL-1R levels also decline in the aging brain. This was associated with a decrease in the levels of another molecule involved in inflammation, called “tumor necrosis factor-alpha” (TNF-α).
In addition, the decline in IL-1R and TNF-α was linked to a decrease in the levels of a key molecule involved in learning and memory, called “brain-derived neurotrophic factor” (BDNF).
Taken together, these findings suggest that a decline in IL-1R and TNF-α may play a role in age-related cognitive decline by reducing BDNF levels.
The USC team is now planning to investigate whether boosting IL-1R and TNF-α levels in the aging brain can improve cognitive function.
If successful, this could lead to the development of new treatments to improve cognitive function in old age.
