Aging can bring many surprises, but few people suspect that part of the problems could involve sugar. Researchers have learned that the protective coating of the brain of sugars loses part of its weight with age and that this loss of sugar could undermine the defenses of the brain.
The winner of the Nobel Prize Carolyn Bertozzi, of the University of Stanford, became curious about this sweet armor and sought to reconstruct himself could tighten the protective barrier of the brain.
This barrier, called hemato-encephalic barrier, is designed to let in the necessary nutrients while blocking harmful substances.
Move in the gentle layer
This layer of sugar, known as glycocalyx, is on cells that form the blood-brain barrier. A recent study in mice revealed that glycocalyx is infirmation over time, leaving gaps that invite unwanted molecules to slide.
“We go out for the first time and try to give meaning to what exists,” said Carolyn Bertozzi, referring to the little attention that sugar molecules have received compared to proteins more frequently studied.
The concern is that even minor openings can allow inflammatory molecules and other harmful factors to spread in the brain. In the long term, this infiltration can potentially decrease memory and other cognitive capacities.
Brain sugar layers intensify defense
Scientists have realized that the reintroduction of the key components of sugar has contributed to recovering a certain lost protection. These sugar additions seemed to restore the border and the slowdown in current inflammation.
“The modulation of glycanes has a major effect on the brain – both negatively in aging, when these sugars are lost and positively when restored,” said the main researcher Sophia Shi, of the University of Stanford.
Improving the supply of specific sugars supported the integrity of the barrier in older mice. This has enabled less harmful molecules to enter the brain and showed improved brain function clues.
The researchers found that the realization of this sugar gap in the glycocalyx gave animals a better chance of recovery of memory.
Memory on the line
“This work sets the foundations for a new area of investigation into how the aging brain loses its resilience,” said Tony Wyss-Coray, from Stanford University.
The brain learning and recall tests have shown that mice with restored sugar layers work better in certain brain memory tasks.
Small gains can mean a lot during the fight against cognitive decline. Scientists have long sought new ways of helping people repel forgetting that accompanies advanced age.
The fact that a few sugars can consolidate such a crucial cerebral barrier adds a new angle to this research. Many existing therapies try to stop the accumulation of harmful proteins, so a sugar -based approach is a different track.
What could mean
The blood-brain barrier poses a challenge for anyone developing drugs. This barrier acts like a goalkeeper, but a barrier also weakened red flags because it could let bigger problems enter.
A thicker layer of sugar could refine to what extent the barrier behaves, keeping the brain safe while always admitting vital substances.
This discovery could influence the way researchers conceive of treatments, in particular for neuroinflammation and conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. If a failing sugar shield is a factor in the progression of the disease, adjustment could help keep the brain in better shape.
Where the discoveries then lead
Bertozzi, Shi and their colleagues plan to sort the types of sugar that have the most impact. They also aim to understand how these sugars interact with other protective molecules. Researchers suspect that there could be several targets to preserve or reconstruct the glycocalyx.
No one knows exactly how it could still work in humans, but many age -related vulnerabilities revolve around the same principle of the instability of barriers.
Better knowledge of sugar biology could lead to new therapies that cross the blood-brain barrier more effectively without causing harmful leaks.
Brain sugar health
Even for those who are younger, understand how sugars stabilize the immune privileges of the brain can open better strategies to repel disorders.
Scientists suggest that a well -maintained glycocaly could help people recover from infections or injuries involving the brain.
The exploration of these advantages requires other stages, and many laboratories take a new look at glycocalyx by learning more about its protective effects.
This research offers a vision of how aging brains manage the delicate balance between being open enough for nutrients but closed with harmful factors.
By adjusting this balance with added sugars, the symptoms linked to memory have improved in mice. Studies are underway to see to what extent this success will continue to human patients, in particular those who have neurodegenerative conditions.
The study is published in Nature.
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