The March Journal Club, hosted by Dr. Oliver Medvedik, will be focusing on a recent study which showed that transplanting bone marrow from young mice into older mice could prevent cognitive decline and preserve their memory and learning ability.
These findings confirm that the ageing of blood cells produced in the bone-marrow is a factor in cognitive decline.
You can also read about it here
The restoration of cognitive function by transfer of plasma or blood from young mice was attributed to decreased C-C motif (CCL11), and b2-microglobulin. These are believed to suppress neurogenesis within the aging brain. The specific role played by the hematopoietic systems in rejuvenation is not known, nor is the significance of neurogenesis for old mice. We report here that the transplantation of young hematopoietic bone marrow preserved cognitive function in older recipient mice, even though irradiation induced neurogenesis suppression, and without reducing B2-microglobulin. In contrast, transplanting young bone marrow preserved synaptic connectivity and reduced microglial activity in the hippocampus. CCL11 levels in the blood were lower in younger bone marrow patients, and CCL11 treatment in mice produced an opposite effect: it reduced synapses, while increasing microglial activity.
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