Researchers say that the blood blood barrier becomes more suspicious with age, which contributes to memory and thinking problems, and that the new discoveries of the mechanisms of this process may lead to innovative ways to prevent cognitive deterioration.
The blood circulatory barrier, which is a layer of tightly interconnected cells that lines the blood vessels in the brain, prevents the entry of viruses, bacteria and toxins, at a time when it allows the passage of nutrients and beneficial chemicals.
“It is simply a mechanism that separates the central nervous system from the rest of the body,” said Yulia Kumarova, head of the research team from Illinois University in Chicago, in a statement.
In a previous research, Kumarova and her colleagues found that removing a protein called “In Caederin” from the cells lining the blood vessels makes it more leakage in the brain. In a new study published in the journal “Cell Reports”, her team found that mice that do not have that protein can learn tasks with the same efficiency in natural mice, but soon forget what she learned.
In other experiments, the researchers found that when the “In Cyderene” proteins interact in the neighboring cells, they prove a protein called “Oaklodine”, which helps to form precise connections in the blood circulatory septum and maintains its safety.
When examining the human brain tissue that was collected during epilepsy surgery, the researchers found that the samples taken from patients in the 1940s and 1950s contain lower levels of protein “Inn Caaderin” and “Oclaudine” compared to samples of patients in the end of adolescence and in the 1920s.
Komarova team is now looking if some steps in the signal transmission path that is active by “Caaderin” can constitute therapeutic goals.
The path of transmission of signals is a series of chemical reactions in which a group of particles work together inside the cells, enabling them to respond to the stimuli.
“This study shows that there may be a much wider field to treat any cases of cognitive degradation caused by age,” Kumarova said.