For the first time, scientists have identified a rare population of potentially toxic senescent cells in human brains that can serve as a target for a new Alzheimer’s disease treatment.
The study, published in the Dec.10 edition of the journal Nature Aging, was led by Miranda Orr, Ph.D., assistant professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine, at Wake Forest School of Medicine and research health scientist at the W.G. Hefner VA Medical Center, and Habil Zare, Ph.D., assistant professor of cell systems and anatomy, at University of Texas Health San Antonio. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and National Institute on Aging.
Senescent cells are old, sick cells that cannot properly repair themselves and don’t die off when they should. Instead they function abnormally and release substances that kill surrounding healthy cells and cause inflammation. Over…
