Levels of certain proteins in the blood may be able to predict the age of a person's brain, and could be used as potential targets for future interventions, according to new research. (Image credit: Alvaro Gonzalez via Getty Images)
Scientists have identified 13 proteins that may be linked to brain aging and could eventually be targeted with anti-aging therapies.
However, experts stress that more research is needed to determine exactly why these proteins correlate with brain aging and whether they point to specific approaches to treating diseases such as dementia.
In a new study, researchers analyzed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from the brains of nearly 11,000 people aged 45 to 82. They used the scans to estimate each participant’s “brain age gap” — essentially, how much their “brain age” differed from their chronological age.
The team aged the individuals' brains using artificial intelligence technology to examine certain physiological parameters, such as brain volume and surface area, to determine the extent to which their brains had undergone accelerated aging.
The team then assessed the levels of about 3,000 proteins in the blood of nearly 5,000 participants. Blood connects the brain to the rest of the body, so changes in protein concentrations in the blood should reflect similar changes in the brain.
Ultimately, the researchers identified 13 proteins whose blood levels were significantly associated with the biological age of the brain. Proteins associated with aging factors, such as cellular stress and inflammation, increased in the blood as the biological age of the brain increased. At the same time, levels of proteins that support brain function, including those involved in cellular regeneration, decreased as the participants aged.
Of all the proteins the team identified, one, known as brevican, showed one of the strongest links to the brain's biological age – its levels declined as people aged, and this decline indicated a significant correlation with conditions such as dementia and stroke.
Brevican is known for its role in communication between neurons, so this discovery supports previous studies that suggested the protein could serve as a measurable marker for diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases.
In addition, the scientists found that blood levels of 13 proteins peaked at specific chronological ages: 57, 70 and 78 years. This may reflect “waves” of brain aging that could inform future anti-aging interventions, the team wrote in a paper published Monday (Dec. 9) in the journal Nature Aging.
At the same time, other experts expressed concerns about premature conclusions.
The team used MRI scans to predict the biological age of the participants' brains; they compared that age with the levels of thousands of proteins in their blood. (Image above
Sourse: www.livescience.com
