Link found between age and brain diseases

Aging has long been called the main risk factor for brain diseases. But why age triggers neurodegenerative processes has remained a mystery until now. Researchers from the University of Cologne have taken a step towards solving this mystery.

The scientists worked with a tiny but extremely useful organism, the nematode C. elegans. It was this worm that helped them track how a protein called EPS8 accumulates in cells with age and begins to act against the host. Instead of protection, it activates dangerous stress reactions and accelerates the destruction of nerve cells.

The results were impressive. When EPS8 levels were lowered, the worms did not develop toxic protein accumulations, and the nervous system remained functional. The scientists were able to reproduce the same effects in human cell models associated with Huntington’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

“We are pleased that we have found a molecular mechanism explaining how aging is related to brain diseases,” says the first author of the study, Dr. Seda Koyuncu. “Age has always been the common denominator of these diseases, but the exact process has remained a mystery.”

Most importantly, the EPS8 protein and its partners are present not only in worms, but also in humans. This means that the discovery can become the basis for the development of new therapies that will slow down the destruction of the nervous system, which means they can help maintain brain health for longer.

Although scientists have yet to figure out all the details of EPS8’s work, one thing is already clear: a direct link has been found between age-related changes and neurodegeneration. This means that we are one step closer to one day stopping the diseases that today seem to be the inevitable companions of old age.