Scientists at University College London have found that altering the activity of brain cells may be a way to prolong life in fruit flies, as well as prevent the neurological damage characteristic of Alzheimer's, an incurable form of dementia. This is reported in an article published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers found that if the levels of two different proteins that are active in two different types of brain cells were altered, the lifespan of fruit flies would increase by about 7-9 percent. Exposure also decreased the amount of amyloid protein, a characteristic protein in Alzheimer's.
The experiment is notable for the fact that with its help it was possible to increase the lifespan by acting only on nerve cells, and not on cells of the whole organism. Scientists have identified several transcription factors involved in the insulin signaling pathway and found that two molecules, FKH and FOXO, appear to influence the aging process. One of them affects the neurons themselves, and the other acts on glial cells – auxiliary cells of the nervous tissue.
