From brain training apps to botox, many people will try anything to turn the clock back.
But a new study suggests that the key to slowing down the aging process may lie with some cells in our immune system, called myeloid cells.
These cells play a vital role in fighting disease and clearing debris, but they often become disrupted as we age, causing chronic inflammation.
The research shows that destroying these cells can disrupt the brain and delay a number of conditions, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and weakness.
Although the findings are at a very early stage, the researchers hope they could help drugmakers develop fertilizers to delay aging.
Research shows that deleting myeloid cells can delay brain degeneration and delay a number of conditions, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and weakness (stock image)
In the study, researchers from Stanford Medicine studied myeloid cells in elderly mice, as well as myeloid cells in cultures from people over 65 and under 35.
Myeloid cells are found in the brain, circulatory system and peripheral nappies, where they play a vital role in cleansing dead cells, providing nutrients to other cells, and monitoring for invasion. take on pathogens.
However, as we age, our myeloid cells begin to empty, damaging innocent tissues in the process.
In the study, the researchers inhibited the interaction of a hormone called PGE2 and a receptor on myeloid cells in the mice and human cells in culture.
Surprisingly, this was enough to restore juvenile metabolism, and restore age-related mental decline in older mice.
Professor Katrin Andreasson, professor of neurology and neurological sciences and senior author of the study, explained: ‘If you change the immune system, you can degenerate the brain. ‘
PGE2 is a hormone belonging to a group called prostaglandins, and it does many different things in the body, depending on which cells it binds to.
For example, when PGE2 binds to a receptor called EP2 on myeloid cells, it initiates inflammatory activity within the cells.

Myeloid cells are found in the brain, circulatory system and peripheral nappies, where they play a vital role in cleansing dead cells, providing nutrients to other cells, and monitoring for invasion. take on pathogens. However, as we age, our myeloid cells begin to dysfunction, damaging innocent tissues in the process
In the study, the researchers found that cells from older and older mice had significantly higher levels of EP2 in their cells, and also produced more PGE2.
Unfortunately, because the hormone binds to these receptors, it leads to an increase in inflammation, causing damage to innocent cigarettes.
Dr Andreasson explained: ‘This powerful path is driving age. And it can be taken down. ‘
Using two combinations, the researchers inhibited the ability of PGE2 to bind to EP2, and were able to reverse this inflammation, as well as age-related cognitive decline.
Older mice were even able to perform as well on recall and spatial navigation tests as younger mice.
Of particular interest was one of the two combinations, which was found to be effective, even if it does not enter the blood-brain barrier.
According to the team, this suggests that the repositioning of myeloid cells outside the brain could have a significant effect on what is going on inside the brain.
Unfortunately, the fertilizers are not approved for human use, and may have toxic side effects, according to the researchers.
However, the team hopes to be able to give drugmakers a roadmap to develop safe fertilizers for human consumption.