Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) say they have successfully reversed memory loss in aging mice by targeting a specific protein that accumulates in brain cells.
They revealed that the finding could one day open new pathways for treating age-related cognitive decline.
The peer-reviewed study, published in Nature Aging, focused on a protein called ferritin light chain 1 (FTL1).
Scientists found that FTL1 levels rise in the brain’s memory center as mice age, impairing energy production and starving neurons of the power needed to store and form memories.
When researchers artificially increased FTL1 in young mice, the animals quickly developed memory problems, performing as poorly as older mice in maze and object-recognition tests.
But when they reduced FTL1 in older mice, the results were dramatic: their memory and learning abilities returned to levels seen in much younger animals.
“It is truly a reversal of impairments. It’s much more than merely delaying or preventing symptoms,” said Dr. Saul Villeda, associate director of the UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute and senior author of the study.
The findings point researchers toward a broader approach to cognitive decline.
Until now, most dementia research has centered on the accumulation of amyloid plaques and