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Scientists Discover Brain Change That May Explain Alzheimer’s
Newsweek • • health
Key Points:
- A new study reveals that around age 50, the brain's hippocampus begins replacing its long-standing immune cells, microglia, with more inflammatory cells likely originating from the blood, challenging the previous belief that microglia are lifelong residents of the brain.
- This immune cell swap may explain how normal aging initiates inflammation in the brain, potentially setting the stage for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's long before symptoms appear.
- Researchers used advanced single-cell and epigenomic techniques to analyze postmortem hippocampal tissue from adults aged 20 to 95, finding a decline in microglia and astrocytes, along with weakened 3D genome organization and early signs of blood-brain barrier deterioration.
- The findings suggest that changes in the brain's immune environment during midlife are a fundamental factor in aging and dementia risk, highlighting inflammation as a possible early driver of Alzheimer's disease.
- Experts note that this new understanding could reshape approaches to studying and potentially treating age-related neurodegenerative conditions by focusing on immune system changes in the brain.
