A recent study from Stanford Medicine, published in Nature, sheds light on how neural stem cells, responsible for generating new neurons in the adult brain, become less active with age. This research offers hope for addressing the decline in neurogenesis, which can lead to significant neurological issues, including memory loss and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Led by Professor Anne Brunet, the team utilized CRISPR technology to identify genes that, when removed, increased the activation of neural stem cells from older mice. They initially identified 300 genes, narrowing it down to one significant candidate: the GLUT4 glucose transporter gene. This suggests that high glucose levels may keep aging neural stem cells inactive.
The researchers demonstrated that by targeting this gene, they could more than double the production of new neurons in older mice. This finding not only highlights a potential therapeutic avenue for enhancing neurogenesis in aging brains but also opens up possibilities for simpler interventions, such as dietary changes to reduce glucose intake.
Moreover, the study indicates that the same techniques could be applied to investigate brain damage repair, as neural stem cells play a crucial role in healing after strokes or traumatic injuries. The implications of this research could lead to innovative treatments that reactivate the brain’s ability to generate new neurons, potentially improving recovery outcomes for various neurological conditions.