Why Some Brain Cells Change with Age

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Why Some Brain Cells Change with Age
Why Some Brain Cells Change with Age.

United States: Different cells are affected differently by aging, and some of them are precisely located in the mouse brain, a study undertaken recently established.

Aging and Brain Health: A Key Risk Factor

These results could provide new clues about why a person’s risk for developing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other related brain diseases rises as they age, the researchers noted in the study that’s published in the journal Nature on January 1, as reported by HealthDay.

“Aging is the most important risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and many other devastating brain disorders. These results provide a highly detailed map for which brain cells may be most affected by aging,” Dr. Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging, said in an NIA news release.

“This new map may fundamentally alter the way scientists think about how aging affects the brain and also provide a guide for developing new treatments for aging-related brain diseases,” Hodes added.

The Study: Young vs. Senior Brains

In their study, which involved the utilization of a sophisticated genetic profiling strategy, the authors looked at the similarity of pairwise cells in the brains of 2-month-old subordinate ‘‘young’’ and 18-month-old disparate ‘‘senior’’ mice.

In particular, they focused on the genetic function of Shah cells residing in 16 domains that make up 35% of the volume of mice brains.

They discovered that aging leads to downregulation of genes connected with brain cells.

For instance, aging limited the development of newborn neurons in at least three areas of the rodents’ brain — the hippocampus, a part of the brain linked to learning and memory.

However, aging also upregulated the functions of genes associated with immune and inflammation responses.

The Vulnerable Hypothalamus

The cells that seemed most susceptible to aging were found around the third ventricle, which is a large portal that allows spinal fluid to flow through the hypothalamus, an area in the middle of the brain. The hypothalamus releases hormones that regulate day-to-day vital body activities such as temperature regulation, heart thump, sleep, thirst, and feeding.

Such findings are in line with other research indicating that aging has an effect on metabolism, as observed by scientists.

Linking Aging, Metabolism, and Longevity

For instance, concerning intermittent fasting and other diets that involve calorie limitations, we see an increased life span among individuals, as reported by HealthDay.

That could be attributed to the age-sensitive neurons in the hypothalamus, which is involved in secreting the hormones that regulate hunger and energy generating process, according to the researchers.

“This study shows that examining the brain more globally can provide scientists with fresh insights on how the brain ages and how neurodegenerative diseases may disrupt normal aging activity,” John Ngai, director of the National Institutes of Health’s Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies initiative, said in a news release.