Reducing FTL1 protein levels reverses brain aging and improves memory in mice

Scientists just found a protein that reverses brain aging

Scientists at UCSF have uncovered a surprising culprit behind brain aging: a protein called FTL1. In mice, too much FTL1 caused memory loss, weaker brain connections, and sluggish cells. But when researchers blocked it, the animals regained youthful brain function and sharp memory. The discovery suggests that one protein could be the master switch for aging in the brain — and targeting it may one day allow us to actually reverse cognitive decline

Could Memory Loss Be Reversible? Researchers 'Dial Down' Cognitive Decline Brain Protein In Mice

A protein that builds up in aging brains may help explain why people forget where they put their keys or struggle to learn new names as they get older. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, have now figured out how to dial down this protein’s activity in mice. The post Could Memory Loss Be Reversible? Researchers ‘Dial Down’ Cognitive Decline Brain Protein In Mice appeared first on Study Finds.

Reducing FTL1 protein levels reverses brain aging and improves memory in mice

Aging is particularly harsh on the hippocampus - the brain region responsible for learning and memory.

Cognitive Decline in Aged Mice Reversed by Targeting the Brain Protein FTL1

Researchers from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have identified a protein they say plays a central role in the aging of the brain. Their study, published in Nature Aging, showed that increased levels of the iron-binding protein ferritin light chain 1 (FTL1) drives structural and metabolic changes in the hippocampus impair memory and learning in aged mice. By reducing FTL1 in aged mouse models, the researchers restored synaptic…