A single molecule may play a central role in rejuvenating aging brains, albeit in different ways, new research suggests.
“PF4 may be an effective factor, and this kind of work will help bring it toward a therapeutic agent” for age-related cognitive decline, says bioengineer Michael Conboy, of the University of California, Berkeley, who was not involved in the work.
One of the research groups, led by neuroscientist Dena Dubal, of the University of California, San Francisco, was studying klotho, a hormone linked to longevity. The group’s previous studies showed that injecting the hormone into mice boosted cognition, but since klotho molecules are too large to cross the blood-brain-barrier, the researchers concluded that the hormone must act on the brain indirectly via a messenger.
To search for this intermediary, Dubal’s team injected mice with klotho and measured changes in protein levels in the animals’ blood. Levels of platelet factors increased, and PF4 changed the most, the researchers found.
2023-08-30 07:00:00
Article from www.sciencenews.org
