Brain HealthRestoring a brain protein reverses aging signs in mice, and an amino acid boosts memory
Researchers at Xiamen University studied Menin, a protein that helps restrain inflammation in the hypothalamus, the brain region that regulates metabolism, sleep, temperature and hormones. In mice, Menin levels fell in certain hypothalamic neurons with age. Mice engineered to lack Menin had more brain inflammation, thinner skin, lower bone mass, worse cognition and modestly shorter lifespans. Restoring Menin in older mice improved memory, balance, bone mass and skin thickness within 30 days. The team also found that D-serine, a naturally occurring amino acid, improved learning and memory in about three weeks. The work was originally published in PLOS Biology in 2023. It suggests that the brain may help steer aging throughout the body, and that the hypothalamus could someday be a target for intervention. All findings come from mice, so they do not yet show that D-serine or Menin-based approaches work in humans.
