Researchers discover ‘aging tipping point’ in the brain – and the fine could have huge implications for patients

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 showed “profound changes” with age, particularly in a specific “hot spot,” according to a news release.

Mice were chosen because their brains have “a lot of similarities” to the human brain.

“Our brain is made up of thousands of cell types, which perform different functions,” Hongkui Zeng, co-author of the study and director of the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, told Fox News Digital. “Our study shows that different types of cells are differently 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 (2-month-old) and older (18-month-old) mice.

18-month-old mice are roughly equivalent to a “late middle-aged human,” the researchers said.

The researchers grouped the cells into 847 different types and also identified nearly 2,500 genes that changed with aging, 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 deterioration of 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) cell types of the brain,” Zeng said.

The cells that experienced the biggest 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 hotspot,” Zeng noted, and that there may be a link between diet, lifestyle factors, brain aging, and the risk of age-related cognitive disorders.

“Findings from the study reinforce the idea that maintaining a healthy lifestyle, promoting a healthy metabolic state, and reducing inflammation in the body and brain can slow or delay the aging process and reduce the risks of age-related brain diseases.” ,” he said.

The hope is that this 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 aging-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 specific cell types are responsible for brain aging. Our study lays the groundwork by providing a detailed genetic map and cell targets.”

Zeng called for future studies to investigate the roles of cells in aging and to determine whether reversing the changes can delay the aging process.

Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a board-certified 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 potential 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 age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, the neurologist noted.

“More and more evidence shows that many chronic diseases are preventable, and it often comes down to diet and exercise,” he told Fox News Digital.

“Changing your diet to eliminate processed foods and starting certain habits like intermittent fasting has been shown to reduce this cellular inflammation that seems to be leading to so many diseases.”