Undifferentiated cells, in the central nervous system, that can become

Published in Communications Biology, the study explored the molecular interactions that occur in our response to varying levels of nutrients, otherwise known as nutrient-sensing pathways, as we grow older.

Using a combination of laboratory-based techniques and analysis of data on people’s memory, diet and level of physical exercise, researchers identified a number of genes that are active in nutrient-sensing pathways and demonstrated these genes also show associations to performance on memory tasks in data from over 2000 individuals. The study identified that the genes ABTB1 and GRB10 were both influential in nutrient sensing pathways and showed association to memory.

 

Previous studies have indicated that neural stem cells (NSCs) in the hippocampal part of the brain play an important role in the decline of our thought process and memory over time. NSCs are cells that keep dividing as long as they are alive and either make more NSCs or cells that have a specialist function in the brain. The maintenance of these NSCs is important in memory and is affected by environmental factors such as diet and exercise, potentially explaining some of the variation in how ageing affects different people.

 

^^ SPG NOTE:Could be looking for nutrients that support neural stem cells.

 

Next Steps:

Get a little more information on neural stem cells

Look at nutrients/ingredients that have been shown to support them. On Neural Stem Cells

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/stem-cells-for-memory/

Now a new animal study shows that the immature cells could also help with cognitive impairments. Frank M. LaFerla of the University of California, Irvine, and his colleagues showed that neural stem cells can reverse memory loss.

 

https://www.britannica.com/science/neural-stem-cell

 

Neural stem cell,largely undifferentiated cell originating in the central nervous system. Neural stem cells (NSCs) have the potential to give rise to offspring cells that grow and differentiate into neurons and glial cells (non-neuronal cells that insulate neurons and enhance the speed at which neurons send signals).

The generation of new brain cells in the adult brain was thought to be impossible since a new cell could never fully integrate itself into the existing complex system of the brain. It was not until 1998 that NSCs were discovered in humans, found first in a region of the brain called the hippocampus, which was known to be instrumental in the formation of memories. NSCs were later also found to be active in the olfactory bulbs (an area that processes smell) and dormant and inactive in the septum (an area that processes emotion), the striatum (an area that processes movement), and the spinal cord.