Bone marrow transplant protects and rejuvenates mouse brains

The findings of scientistsow seem to confirm the model, whichory at least partially attributes the decline in cognitive ability to aging comorek blood, whichore produced in the bone marrow. Findings show that bone marrow transplantation taken from a young body can inhibit age-related cognitive decline in older waspsob.

If further research confirms similar processes in humans, the findings could provide a pathway for designing new therapies to slow the progression of the diseaseob neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, ktore they touch a millionoin people around the world.

The findings of the researchersow were published in the journal „Communications Biology”.

– Previous studies have already shown that introducing blood from young mice can reverse theocognitive decline in older mice, but the mechanisms behind this are not well understood. Our research suggests that the answer lies in the specific properties of young comorec blood – said Dr. Helen Goodridge of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the US, author of the study.

In the study, the scientists transplanted bone marrow taken from 4-month-old mice into older, 18-month-old individualsow. Some older rodents have received transplants from their rovillagerow. Six months poLater, both groups of rodents underwent standard laboratory tests measuring their activity levels and learning abilities, as well as spatial and working memory.

Mice, ktore given young bone marrow, achieved better results than mice whoore received bone marrow from rodents at their age. They also had better results in tests than a control group of old mice, ktore have not received any transplantsow.

Teamoł researcher then examined the animals’ hippocampus – a region of the mozgu associated with memory. They found that old mice with young bone marrow had more connections between neurons in the hippocampus than mice whoors have received bone marrow transplants from their rovillageroin, even though both groups of rodents had roughly the same number of neuronow. Connections between neurons, the so-called. synapses, are crucial to the performance of mozgu.

Further tests showed a possible powod of missing synapses. Comohe blood cells produced by young bone marrow reduced microglia activation – com moimmune re cts in mofromgu. Microglia support neuron healthow, but can become overactive and participate in the disconnection of synapses. Researchers acknowledged that with poor activity of the comorek microglia neurons would remain healthy and more synapses would survive.

– We are entering an era in whichorej our population will count more and more elderly osob. RoAt the same time we are noticing more and more cases ofoin Alzheimer’s disease, placing a huge burden on the health care system, said Dr. Clive Svendsen, cooroutor of new study. – Our work indicates that cognitive decline in mice can be significantly reduced by providing young comoblood rek, whichore counteract the loss of synapses associated with aging – added.