The brain plays a big role in aging processand scientists think they have pinpointed the specific cells that control it.
In a study of mice, Allen Institute researchers identified certain cells that showed “major changes” with age, particularly in one specific “hotspot,” according to a press release.
The mice were chosen because their brains have “a lot of similarities”. human brains.
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“Our brain is made up of thousands of cell types that perform different functions,” Hongkui Zeng, co-author of the study and director of the Allen Institute for Brain Sciences in Seattle, told Fox News Digital. “Our study shows that different types of cells are differently sensitive 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 older mice (18 months old).
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The 18-month-old mice are roughly equivalent to “late middle-aged humans,” the researchers said.
The researchers grouped the cells into 847 different types and also identified almost 2500 genes that changed with age, according to Zeng.
Cells that were associated with aging showed an increase in inflammation and a decrease in “neuronal function.”
“Changes in these genes indicate impaired neuronal structure and function in many types of neuronal and glial cells, as well as increased immune response and inflammation in immune and vascular (blood vessel) types of brain cells,” detailed Zeng.
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The cells that experienced the greatest changes were those in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain associated with food intake, energy balance and metabolism, the researchers noted.
This suggests that this area is an “aging hot spot,” Zeng noted, and that there may be a link between diet, lifestyle factorsbrain aging and the risk of age-related cognitive disorders.
“The results of the study confirm the idea that maintaining a healthy lifestylepromoting a healthy metabolic state and reducing inflammation in the body and brain could slow or delay the aging process and reduce the risks of age-related brain diseases,” he said.
The hope is that the discovery could lead to new age-related therapies to improve the function of these cells and help prevent neurodegenerative diseases, according to the researchers.
“Aging is the most important risk factor for many brain diseases,” Zeng noted.
“Our study provides a highly detailed genetic map of which brain cell types may be most affected by aging and suggests new gene and cell targets for the development of new treatments for age-related brain diseases.”
The study had some limitations, the authors acknowledged.
“The main limitation of our study is that the findings are correlational,” Zeng said.
“We do not yet know whether the gene expression changes observed in certain cell types are causal for brain aging. Our study lays the groundwork by providing a detailed genetic map and target cells.”
Zeng called future studies investigate the roles of cells in aging and determine whether reversing the changes can delay the aging process.
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dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a authorized neurologist at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, commented that the new research adds to existing evidence supporting the role of diet in human brain health.
The detailed “brain road map” will be very useful for future research on aging and possible therapies, according to Murray, who was not involved in the study.
It has been known for some time that inflammation plays a role in chronic diseases associated with aging such as Alzheimer’sthe neurologist noted.
“There is increasing evidence to suggest that many chronic diseases are preventable, and it often comes down to diet and exercise,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“Changing your diet to cut out processed foods and adopting some habits like intermittent fasting have been shown to reduce this cellular inflammation that appears to lead to many diseases.”
