A Simple Way to Protect the Brain from Aging Has Been Identified 0 8

Physical exercise helps preserve cognitive functions by strengthening the brain's protective barrier, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, have found. The study was published in the journal Cell.

As we age, the blood-brain barrier—a network of vessels that protects the brain from toxins and inflammatory molecules—becomes more permeable. This increases inflammation and is associated with memory decline and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Previously, researchers discovered that during physical activity, the liver produces the enzyme GPLD1, but they did not understand how it affects the brain, as it does not cross the barrier itself.

The new study showed that GPLD1 acts indirectly—through the protein TNAP. With age, TNAP accumulates in the cells of the blood-brain barrier, making it weaker. During exercise, GPLD1 produced by the liver reaches the brain's vessels and "cuts" TNAP from the surface of the cells, thereby reducing the permeability of the barrier.

In experiments with mice, reducing TNAP levels even in old age made the barrier less permeable, decreased inflammation in the brain, and improved memory test results. According to the authors, the search for drugs that can affect TNAP may open a new approach to preventing age-related cognitive impairments.