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A new study reveals that the key to slowing down the aging process may lie in certain cells of our immune system, called myeloid cells.
These cells play a vital role in fighting infection and removing waste, but they often stick out as we age and cause chronic inflammation.
In the study, the “Stanford Medicine” researchers studied myeloid cells in mice, as well as myeloid cells in samples from people over 65 and under 35.
Myeloid cells are found in the brain, circulatory system, and peripheral tissues, where they play an essential role in cleaning dead cells, providing nutrients to other cells, and controlling the invasion of pathogens.
As we age, myeloid cells begin to malfunction, causing tissue damage in the process.
The researchers blocked the interaction of a hormone called PGE2 and a receptor on myeloid cells in mice and human cells.
Surprisingly, this was enough to restore youthful metabolism and restore age-related mental decline in the elderly mice.
“If you modify the immune system, you can eliminate aging of the brain,” said Professor Catherine Anderson, professor of neuroscience and neuroscience and lead author of the study.
PGE2 is a hormone that belongs to a group known as prostaglandins, and it does many different things in the body, depending on the cells it binds to.
For example, when PGE2 binds to a receptor called EP2 on myeloid cells, it initiates inflammatory activity within the cells.
In the study, the researchers found that cells from older mice and older humans had significantly higher amounts of EP2 on their surfaces and also produced more PGE2.
Unfortunately, because the hormone binds to these receptors, it increases inflammation and damages healthy tissue.
“This powerful pathway drives aging,” Anderson said. It can be changed. “
Using two compounds, the researchers blocked PGE2’s ability to bind to EP2 and were able to reverse this inflammation, as well as age-related cognitive decline. Even the oldest mice were also able to perform the memory and spatial navigation tests, like the young mice.
This indicates that the return of myeloid cells outside the brain can have a major impact on what happens inside the brain.
Unfortunately, the compounds are not approved for human use and can have toxic side effects, according to the researchers.
However, the team hopes to provide a roadmap for drug manufacturers to develop a compound safe for humans, according to the “Daily Mail.”
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