News: Brain region could slow down the aging process

Want to be forever young?

The key to controlling aging exists, say researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in a region of our brains.

Their findings, which were published in the journal Nature, found that the hypothalamus plays an important role in the aging process.

‘It’s clear from our study that many aspects of aging are controlled by the hypothalamus. What’s exciting is that it’s possible ‘ at least in mice ‘ to alter signaling within the hypothalamus to slow down the aging process and increase longevity,’ senior author Dongsheng Cai said in a press release.

Just how much can the aging process be slowed down?

Life expectancy increased by about 20 percent when researchers blocked a certain pathway in the hypothalamus of mouse brains.

The mice who were injected with the inhibitor to block the pathway were assessed six months after the experiment. According to an article in Nature, they showed less age-related decline in muscle strength, skin thickness, bone mass and tail-tendon integrity. They also did better than other mice at cognition and movement tests.

This breakthrough study could mean new treatments for age-related illnesses.

-Katharine Watts, associate web editor

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