As the largest resource of information specific to women's brain health, we are sure you will find what you are looking for, and promise that you will discover new information.
Published on: September 13, 2012
by MSNBC:
Brain cells may undergo aging in much the same way as skin cells do — with one aging cell affecting many of its neighbors, a new study from England says.
Researchers found that aging mouse neurons produced several substances, including free radicals and other molecules that can promote inflammation and alter DNA, which can damage nearby cells.
It was known that skin cells produce such substances as they age, becoming “rotten apples” that can affect other cells near them, but it was thought that neurons would age in a completely different way, the researchers said. Skin cells, such as fibroblasts, which are involved in repairing wounds, maintain their ability to divide, whereas most neurons in adults can’t divide.
“This study provides us with a new concept as to how damage can spread from the first affected area to the whole brain,” said study researcher Thomas von Zglinicki, a professor of cellular gerontology at Newcastle University.
The finding may open up new ways to treat brain disorders such as dementia, motor neuron disease or age-related hearing loss, the researchers said. However, they noted that mouse research doesn’t always hold up in studies of people.
“We will now need to find out whether the same mechanisms we detected in mouse brains are also associated with brain aging and cognitive loss in humans,” von Zglinicki said.
If the finding does apply to humans, “we might have opened up a shortcut towards understanding brain aging,” he said.
Our bodies change as we age – partly due to natural physiological aging and partly due to lifestyle choices. As early as our thirties, we begin to lose a small amount of muscle mass, and,...
Utilizing tau PET imaging, new research finds tau to be a more accurate indication for future neurodegeneration, highlighting its potential for precision medicine-based treatment approaches. Amyloid-β has long been the bane of every Alzheimer’s researcher. Often found in...
The material presented through the Think Tank feature on this website is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner. WBHI strongly advises all questioners and viewers using this feature with health problems to consult a qualified physician, especially before starting any treatment. The materials provided on this website cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. The materials are not exhaustive and cannot always respect all the most recent research in all areas of medicine.
