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Credit: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20180406/Waking-up-sleeping-stem-cells-in-the-brain-could-improve-its-ability-to-repair-injury.aspx

New study could be the key to reigniting aging stem cells in the brain

March 19, 2021

As we age, our neural stem cells gradually begin to lose the ability to multiply and release new neurons, leading to a decline in memory function.
It is this phenomenon that inspired researchers at the University of Zurich to discover a new mechanism that is linked to stem cell aging—which targets how the production of these neurons can be reactivated.
Stem cells in our brains tend to generate new neurons as we go through life, especially in areas such as the hippocampus.

A recent study conducted by a research group based at the Brain Research Institute of the University of Zurich has demonstrated how the formation of new neurons is gradually impaired with advancing age. Spearheaded by lead researcher Sebastian Jessberger— a professor at the Institution—the study analyzed protein structures in the nuclei of neural stem cells to ensure that harmful proteins accumulating over time are unevenly distributed onto the two daughter cells during cell division. This phenomenon seems to be a fundamental part of the cells’ ability to multiply over a long time in order to keep a consistent supply of neurons. As we grow older, the concentration of nucleic proteins that we have in our system changes, resulting in a defective distribution of harmful proteins between the two daughter cells. This then translates to a decrease in the numbers of new neurons being generated, as was observed in the study while analyzing the brains of older mice. According to the study, the main reason behind this phenomenon is a decline in the nuclear protein called lamin B1; which decreases as people age. Therefore, when researchers began increasing the levels of lamin B1 during trial experiments in aging mice, they recorded a remarkable improvement in stem cell division, with the number of new neurons increasing. “As we get older, stem cells throughout the body gradually lose their ability to proliferate. Using genetic engineering and cutting-edge microscope technology, we were able to identify a mechanism that is associated with this process,” says doctoral candidate and first author, Khadeesh bin Imtiaz. This study is part of multiple projects that center on reactivating aging stem cells. Because the ability to regenerate damaged tissue naturally declines as you grow older, it affects almost every kind of stem cell in the body. While the study is currently limited to brain cells, by analyzing similar mechanisms, the research group hopes to target the aging process present in different stem cells of the body. These important findings are a giant step in the direction of exploring age-dependent changes in the behavior of stem cells. Perhaps one day these findings will help increase our understanding of neurogenesis, and how to come up with workable, long term solutions for people suffering from degenerative diseases such as Alzhemiers.

References: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-reactivating-aging-stem-cells-brain.html

New study could be the key to reigniting aging stem cells in the brain

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