Activating certain immune cells in the aging brain can halt cognitive decline. This is the conclusion reached by scientists from the Albany College of Medicine in the United States.
In the course of the study, experts found that the brain of old mice accumulates congenital lymphoid cells of the second group (ILC2s). These cells are involved in the regeneration processes of the body, but previously scientists did not know about their presence in the central nervous system and functioning during aging.
In an article published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, when comparing the brains of young and aged mice, it was found that old rodents have five times more ILC2s in the choroid plexus that produces cerebrospinal fluid. It borders on the hippocampus, which plays a key role in cognitive processes.
However, although older mice had more ILC2s, they did not function.
Scientists awakened them with the cytokine interleukin 33 (IL-33), after which the cells began to produce proteins that stimulate the formation of neurons. Thus, the subjects' cognitive abilities improved.