Injecting the blood of young mice to older animals improves memory

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The fountain of Youth? Injecting the blood of young mice to older animals improves memory and learning abilities, reveals a study

  • Blood was collected from young mice and injected into younger animals
  • Proteins have caused the growth of more brain cells and increased nerve connections
  • Tested on human brain cells in the laboratory and found to have a similar effect
  • The results raise the hope that a potential treatment that can serve as a "fountain of youth"

By Colin Fernandez Scientific Correspondent Daily Mail

Published on: 3:00 pm EDT, June 3, 2019 | Update: 3:00 pm EDT, June 3, 2019

Scientists have identified two ingredients in the blood of young people that reverse the aging process, according to a study.

The study found that when blood is taken from young mice and injected into old mice, it "reverses" any decline in their brains.

Proteins cause the growth of a larger number of brain cells and increase nerve connections between brain cells.

The proteins were tested on human brain cells in the laboratory and had a similar effect, helping cells to grow and increasing the number of connections.

The results raise the hope that a potential treatment could play the role of "fountain of youth" and reverse the effects of dementia.

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Mouse young mice (15 days old, left) and aged mice (15 months old, right) used in the experiments. When blood is collected from young mice and injected into old mice,

Mouse young mice (15 days old, left) and aged mice (15 months old, right) used in the experiments. When blood is collected from young mice and injected into old mice, it "reverses" any decline in their brains.

Thrombospondin-4 THBS4 and SPARC-1-like protein (SPARCL1) are the two key proteins that have a rejuvenating effect.

In the journal PNAS, Stanford scientists write that compounds increase the number of synapses – connections between brain cells.

In a healthy brain, the creation of new synapses compensates for the loss of old, but this process slows down with age and accelerates in Alzheimer 's disease. The loss of synapses makes it more difficult to memorize things.

Authors Kathyln Gan and Thomas Sudhof write: "We asked whether young blood is enriched with factors that act directly on neurons to promote synapse formation.

"We show that the serum of young but non-elderly mice directly stimulates synapse formation in cultured neurons, and identifies two factors, thrombospondin-4 and SPARCL1, which are enriched in young blood and attenuate these effects.

"Thus, our experiments show that young blood is enriched with multiple factors that directly promote synaptic connectivity between neurons."

Scientists have said that the two key chemicals have been identified, but that they "trigger changes that revive youth" is unclear.

Young mice (photo) have two key proteins that have a rejuvenating effect. They are thrombospondin-4 THBS4 and SPARC-like protein 1 (SPARCL1).

Although the two key chemicals have been identified, scientists say that the way they trigger changes that revive young people is not clear.

The proteins of young mice (left) lead to the growth of more brain cells and increased nerve connections between brain cells in aged mice (right). The proteins were tested on human brain cells in the laboratory and found to have a similar effect, helping the cells to grow and increasing the number of connections.

They claim that much more research is needed before they can demonstrate that it works in the living man.

For example, it is not known yet whether proteins can reach the brain – by crossing the "blood-brain barrier", which filters large molecules in the blood.

Human umbilical cord blood cells are another fertile area of ​​research for potential anti-aging compounds.

A compound, found in the cord cells, called TIMP 1, has already proven to also have a rejuvenating effect.

Other compounds for which scientists have high hopes are called GDF11, which stimulates muscle growth,

And the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) that has an effect on the growth of hippocampus cells, a part of the brain essential to the formation of memories.

WHAT IS A NEURON AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

A neuron, also called a nerve cell, is an electrically excitable cell that captures, processes, and transmits information through electrical and chemical signals. It is one of the basic elements of the nervous system.

In order for the human being to react to his environment, the neurons carry the stimuli.

Stimulation, for example burning of the finger on a candle flame, is carried by the ascending neurons to the central nervous system and, in return, the descending neurons stimulate the arm to remove the finger from the candle.

A typical neuron is divided into three parts: the cell body, the dendrites and the axon. The cell body, the center of the neuron, extends its processes called axons and dendrites to other cells. Dendrites generally branch out profusely, slimming at each branching. The axon is thin but can reach huge distances.

To make a comparable scale, the diameter of a neuron is about one-tenth the diameter of a human hair.

All neurons are electrically excitable. The electrical pulse happens mainly on the dendrites, is treated in the body of the cell to then move along the axon.

Throughout its length, an axon simply functions as an electric cable, simply transmitting the signal.

Once the electrical reaches the end of the axon, at the synapses, things get a little more complex.

The key to neuronal function is the synaptic signaling process, which is partly electrical and partly chemical.

Once the electrical signal reaches the synapse, the neuron releases a special molecule called the neurotransmitter.

This neurotransmitter will then stimulate the second neuron, triggering a new electric pulse wave, repeating the mechanism described above.

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