WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Neural stem cells are responsible for generating new neurons in the adult brain in a process known as neurogenesis. As the brain ages, these cells become less adept at producing new neurons, leading to neurological problems such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
A new study from Stanford Medicine, led by Anne Brunet, professor of genetics, suggested a gene editing tool that can help find pathways to combat cognitive decline that comes with aging.
The study used the gene editing tool CRISPR to conduct a genetic screen, identifying genes that could enhance the activation of neural stem cells in aged mice.
'We first found 300 genes that had this ability - which is a lot,' emphasized Brunet.
'One in particular caught our attention,' Brunet continued. 'It was the gene for the glucose transporter known as the GLUT4 protein, suggesting that elevated glucose levels in and around old neural stem cells could be keeping those cells inactive.'
The findings, published in the journal Nature, revealed that knocking out the Slc2a4 gene resulted in a two-fold increase in new neuron production in the olfactory bulbs of older mice. Also, reducing glucose influx in them caused the aged stem cells to become more active and produce new neurons.
'It's allowing us to observe three key functions of the neural stem cells. First, we can tell they are proliferating. Second, we can see that they're migrating to the olfactory bulb, where they're supposed to be. And third, we can see they are forming new neurons in that site,' explained lead author Tyson Ruetz.
Researchers are hopeful that this new discovery could lead to novel treatments, including drugs or even dietary changes that could influence GLUT4.
'The next step,' Brunet added, 'is to look more closely at what glucose restriction, as opposed to knocking out genes for glucose transport, does in living animals.'
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