Aging ‘hotspot’ found in brain, researchers say: ‘Major changes’

The brain plays a major role in the aging processand scientists think they have identified the specific cells that control it.

In a study of mice, Allen Institute researchers identified certain cells that show “major changes” with age, particularly in a specific “hotspot,” according to a press release.

The mice were chosen because their brains share “a lot of similarities.” human brains.

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“Our brain is made up of thousands of cell types, which perform different functions,” Hongkui Zeng, study co-author 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.

Allen Institute scientists believe they have identified the specific brain cells that control aging. (iStock)

The researchers used RNA sequencing and brain mapping tools to analyze more than 1.2 million brain cells from young mice (2 months) and old mice (18 months).

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

The researchers grouped the cells into 847 different types and also identified approx 2,500 geniuses that changed with aging, according to Zeng.

Mice (not pictured) were chosen because their brains share “many similarities” with human brains, the researchers said. (iStock)

The cells that were linked to aging showed an increase in inflammation and a decrease in “neuronal function.”

“Changes in these genes indicate impaired neuronal structure and function in several types of neuronal and glial cells, as well as an increased immune response and inflammation in the types of immune cells and vascular (vessels) of the brain,” he said Zeng.

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The cells that experienced the greatest changes were those in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that is linked to food intake, energy balance and metabolism, the researchers noted.

This suggests that this area is an “aging hotspot,” Zeng said, and that there could be a connection between diet, lifestyle factorsbrain aging and the risk of age-related cognitive disorders.

“Aging is the most important risk factor for many brain diseases.”

“The results of the study reinforce the notion 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 brain diseases associated with aging,” he said.

The hope is that this discovery could lead to new age therapies to improve the function of these cells and help prevent neurodegenerative diseases, according to the researchers.

The researchers of the study discuss the results in the Allen Institute. (Allen Institute)

“Aging is the most important risk factor for many brain diseases,” Zeng said.

“Our study provides a highly detailed genetic map of which brain cell types may be most affected by aging and suggests new genes and cell targets for the development of new treatments for aging-related brain diseases.”

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The study had some limitations, the authors acknowledge.

“The main limitation of our study is that the results are correlational,” Zeng said.

Inflammation plays a role in chronic age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, a neurologist said. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

“We still don’t know if the gene expression changes observed in specific cell types are causal for brain aging. Our study lays the groundwork for providing a detailed genetic map and cell targets.”

Zeng asked future studies to investigate the role of cells in aging and determine whether reversing the changes could delay the aging process.

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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 “roadmap of the brain” will be very beneficial for future research in aging and possible therapeutics, according to Murray, who was not involved in the study.

The detailed “roadmap of the brain” discovered in the study will be very beneficial for future research in aging and possible therapies, experts agree. (iStock)

It has been known for some time that inflammation plays a role in chronic age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’sthe neurologist noted.

“More and more evidence points to the fact that many chronic diseases can be prevented, and often reduced to diet and exercise“, he told Fox News Digital.

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“Changing the diet to exclude processed foods and starting certain habits like intermittent fasting have been shown to reduce this cellular inflammation that seems to lead to so many diseases.”