A new study has identified 13 proteins responsible for brain aging, particularly at the ages of 57, 70, and 78. Scientists recently pinpointed these 13 proteins linked to brain aging. Experts believe these proteins could pave the way for anti-aging treatments.
However, researchers say more studies are needed to understand why these proteins are associated with brain aging and why they increase particularly at the ages of 57, 70, and 78.
For the study, scientists analyzed brain scans (MRI) of nearly 11,000 people aged 45 to 82. They used the scans to estimate each participant’s brain age, specifically how different it was from their actual age. The team employed artificial intelligence to determine the brain ages of the participants to find out how quickly their brains were aging.
Next, the team assessed the concentration of about 3,000 proteins in the blood of approximately 5,000 participants.
The results led the researchers to identify 13 proteins significantly associated with biological brain age. They found that these proteins were also linked to other factors of aging, such as cellular stress and inflammation. These factors caused the proteins to increase in the blood as biological brain age increased. Additionally, the levels of proteins that help maintain brain functions decrease with age.
