Revitalizing the Aging Brain through Activating Immune cells
Researchers from Albany Medical College, New York, have found that an immune cell type accumulates in the brains of older mice. Activating these cells can improve their memory. The study will be published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine on February 5, 2020. It suggests that targeting these immune cells could reduce age-related decline in cognitive function and combat neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging in humans.
As we age, cognitive functions such as memory and learning begin to decline. The immune system of the body also declines as we age, increasing our susceptibility to infections and inflammation. Researchers at Albany Medical College, led by Qi Yang, revealed in their latest JEM study that changes to a type of immune cells known as group 2 lymphoid cell (ILC2s), which are affected by aging, could help doctors combat the effects of brain aging.
ILC2s are found in certain tissues and can help repair them if they become damaged. Recent studies have shown that ILC2s found in the spinal chord promote healing following spinal cord injuries. Yang says that it was not known whether ILC2s were also found in other areas of the central nervous systems, or how they responded to aging.
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