As we age, neural stem cells lose the ability to proliferate and produce new neurons. This leads to a deterioration in memory function. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now discovered a mechanism that is linked to the aging of stem cells. You could also see how theproduction and neuronal activitycan be reactivated.
Can neural stem cells be reactivated?
The brain cells mentioned above produce new neurons throughout life, for example in the hippocampus. This region of the brain plays a key role in a number of memory processes. As we age and in patients with Alzheimer's disease, the ability of the hippocampus to generate new neurons steadily declines. This also affects memory function. A research group from the University of Zurich has investigated the distribution of this age-dependent cell damage. In their study, the researchers show how the formation of new neurons is impaired with increasing age. Protein structures in the nuclei of neural stem cells ensure that harmful proteins that accumulate over time are distributed unevenly between the two daughter cells during cell division. This appears to be an important part of the cells' ability to proliferate over long periods of time to maintain the supply of neurons.
However, as we age, the amounts of nucleic acids change. This leads to an incorrect distribution of harmful proteins between the two daughter cells. In this way, the number of newly generated neurons also decreases in the aging brain. The central element in this process is a nuclear protein called lamin B1, whose levels decrease with age. When researchers increased lamin B1 levels in experiments on aging mice, stem cell division improved and neural stem cells grew. Using genetic engineering and cutting-edge technology, scientists were able to identify a mechanism associated with this process. The ability to regenerate damaged tissue decreases with aging, affecting almost all types of stem cells in the body. The authorsthis studyhope that these results will one day help increase the level of neurogenesis. This could, for example, enable treatment in older people or those suffering from degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
