Brain enzyme linked to preserved memory and reduced inflammation in aging
Researchers identified a brain phospholipase that appears to protect neurons and sustain memory as mice and humans age.
A team of neuroscientists discovered that the phospholipase Pla2g2f acts as a compensatory mechanism for cognitive resilience in aging brains. In mouse models, loss of the Pla2g2f gene triggered heightened inflammation and neuron loss, whereas overexpression reduced inflammation and preserved neural networks, leading to improved performance on spatial memory tasks. Human gene-expression datasets showed that PLA2G2F activity increases with age and peaks in cognitively resilient donors who carried amyloid-β plaques.
Co-author Amar Sahay described the enzyme as a potential neuroprotectant, and external expert Timothy Hohman praised the approach for uncovering resilience pathways. The findings were published in Nature Neuroscience on 15 October.
Why it matters
Understanding this enzyme could guide new strategies to maintain brain health and combat age-related cognitive decline.
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