The brain plays a major role in the aging process, and scientists think they have identified the specific cells that control it.
In a study of mice, researchers at the Allen Institute identified certain cells that show “significant changes” with age, particularly in one particular “hotspot,” according to a press release.
Mice were chosen because their brains share “many similarities” with the human brain.
FRIENDS, FAMILY CAN PROTECT FROM HEART ATTACK, STROKE AND TYPE 2 DIABETES, STUDY SUGGESTIONS
“Our brain contains thousands of different types of cells, performing different functions,” Hongkui Zeng, author and director of the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, told Fox News Digital. “Our research shows that different types of cells are more susceptible to the aging process.”
The research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was published in the journal Nature.
The researchers used RNA sequencing and brain mapping tools to analyze more than 1.2 million brain cells from young mice (2 months old) and old mice (18 months old).
RIDING DEMENTIA MEANS MORE READING, PRAYER AND LISTEN TO MUSIC: READ
The 18-month-old mice are about the size of a “middle-aged human,” the researchers said.
The researchers grouped the cells into 847 different types and also identified about 2,500 types that changed with aging, according to Zeng.
Cells that were linked to aging showed increased inflammation and decreased “neuronal activity.”
“Changes in these genes point to a deterioration of neuronal structure and function in many types of neuronal and glial cells, as well as an increase in the immune response and inflammation in a variety of cells of the brain and vascular (blood vessel),” explains Zeng.
5 BIG ALZHEIMER DISCOVERIES SCIENTISTS HAVE MADE BY 2024
The cells that experienced the biggest changes were those in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain linked to food, energy balance and metabolism, the researchers noted.
This suggests that this area is a “hot spot for aging,” Zeng noted, and that there may be a link between diet, lifestyle factors, brain aging and the risk of age-related dementia.
“The findings of the study reinforce the idea that maintaining a healthy lifestyle, promoting a healthy metabolic state, and reducing inflammation in the body and mind can slow or delay the aging process and reduce the risks of age-related brain diseases,” it said.
The hope is that this discovery could lead to new age-related treatments to improve the function of these cells and help prevent neurodegenerative diseases, according to the researchers.
“Aging is a major risk factor for many brain diseases,” Zeng noted.
“Our research provides a more detailed genetic map of which brain cell types may be most affected by aging and suggests new genes and cell targets for developing new treatments for aging-related brain diseases.”
The study had some limitations, the authors acknowledge.
“The biggest limitation of our study is that the findings are relative,” Zeng said.
“We don’t yet know whether the genetic changes seen in certain cell types are the cause of brain aging. Our research is breaking ground by providing a detailed genetic map and targets cells.”
Zeng called for future studies to investigate the cells’ roles in aging and determine whether mutations can delay the aging process.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR HEALTH PAPER
Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a certified sensor board at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, noted that the new study adds to existing evidence supporting the role of diet in human brain health.
A detailed “road map of the brain” will be very useful for future research on aging and possible treatments, according to Murray, who was not involved in the research.
It has long been known that inflammation plays a role in chronic age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s, the neurologist noted.
“A lot of evidence points to the fact that many chronic diseases are preventable, and often come from diet and exercise,” he told Fox News Digital.
For more health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
“Changing your diet to eliminate processed foods and starting certain habits like intermittent fasting have been shown to reduce this cellular inflammation that appears to lead to many diseases.”
Source link
