The aging brain is susceptible to cellular damage caused by adaptive immune responses
In the past, neuroscience studies have shown that the aging mammalian nervous systems is accompanied by a decrease in the volume and function of white matter (nerve fibers in the deep brain tissue). This is a well-established fact, but the mechanisms that underlie the decline of the white matter and the associated pathologies remain poorly understood.
Researchers from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), the Technical University of Munich and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases conducted a study to better understand the neural mechanisms which could lead to the degradation of white matter. The findings of the study, which were published in Nature Neuroscience suggest that adaptive immune response could be a factor in aging-related white matter cell loss.
Medical Xpress reported that \”one of the hallmarks for brain aging is a decrease in white matter function and volume, which leads to an increased number of neurological disorders.\” Mikael Gokce and Ozgun Simons, two researchers who conducted the study, said this. White matter is made up of nerve fibers, which are the extensions of nerve cells. These nerve fibers have a covering or sheath called myelin that allows them to communicate quickly and gives the white matter its colour.
Source:
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-11-immune-responses-cellular-loss-aging.html
