Research Reveals Protein Linked to Aging in Brain Region

Aging seems to take a significant toll on the hippocampus, the part of the brain that plays a key role in learning and memory.

At UC San Francisco, researchers have pinpointed a protein that appears to be central to this decline.

In studying how genes and proteins in the hippocampus evolved over time in mice, they discovered one specific protein, known as FTL1, that varied between the older and younger mice.

The older mice exhibited higher levels of FTL1, along with fewer synaptic connections between brain cells in the hippocampus and reduced cognitive function.

When the scientists artificially boosted FTL1 levels in young mice, the changes in their brains and behavior began to mirror those seen in older mice.

In laboratory experiments, nerve cells that were modified to produce significantly more FTL1 developed simpler, one-armed neurites, unlike the more complex branching neurites formed by normal cells.

However, when researchers decreased FTL1 in the hippocampus of older mice, those mice showed signs of rejuvenation. They formed more connections between nerve cells and performed better on memory assessments.

“It’s genuinely a reversal of impairments,” remarked Saul Villeda, PhD, who is the associate director of the UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute and a senior author of the study published in Nature Aging on August 19. “This goes beyond just delaying or preventing symptoms.”

In the aging mice, higher levels of FTL1 also appeared to slow down the metabolism of cells in the hippocampus. Yet, when treated with a substance that stimulates metabolism, these negative effects were mitigated.

Villeda is hopeful that this research might pave the way for therapies that could mitigate the impact of FTL1 in the brain.

“We’re uncovering more possibilities to lessen the most severe repercussions of aging,” he stated. “It’s an encouraging period for those of us studying the biology of aging.”