All articles tagged with #neurogenesis
A King’s College London study shows chronic TNF-α–driven inflammation stops neurogenesis in the hippocampus by reprogramming neural stem cells into an immune-alert state that recruits inflammatory T cells; blocking Type I interferon signaling with an antibody reverses the effect, restoring neuron production and suggesting therapy avenues for brain fog and cognitive decline.
A Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience study finds that brains resist Alzheimer's not by housing more immature neurons, but by how these rare cells behave—activating survival programs and dampening inflammation—helping surrounding tissue stay functional even as pathology accumulates; about 30% of older adults with Alzheimer's pathology show no symptoms, and further work using human brain tissue suggests resilience is multifactorial and could point to new therapeutic directions.
A 2025 study from Karolinska Institutet provides direct evidence that the adult human hippocampus can generate new neurons, identifying dividing progenitor cells in the dentate gyrus of individuals up to age 78 using single-nucleus RNA sequencing. This supports ongoing adult neurogenesis in at least one brain region, though there is wide individual variation and it does not imply broad brain rejuvenation or immediate therapies; replication is needed to confirm findings and understand drivers of variability.
Researchers studying adult zebra finches used electron microscopy to track newborn neurons migrating by tunneling through mature brain tissue, bulldozing along their path rather than weaving around existing cells. This behavior may help birds learn and repair but could contribute to memory disruption, potentially explaining why humans restrict neurogenesis after birth to protect memories. The findings suggest future stem-cell therapies that activate neurogenesis without relying on glial highways, offering a path toward brain repair with fewer memory costs. The study, led by BU's Benjamin Scott and published in Current Biology, highlights a trade-off between neural plasticity and memory stability and could inform human brain repair approaches.
Large-scale brain imaging and animal studies show chronic pain gradually reshapes the hippocampus; early adaptations (larger volume and higher activity) correlate with resilience, while later changes include reduced hippocampal volume, disrupted activity, and cognitive decline that accompany depression. A dentate gyrus–microglia interaction appears to be a key switch from adaptive to maladaptive responses, and reducing hippocampal inflammation in animals improved depression-like symptoms, suggesting early anti-inflammatory treatment could help prevent pain-induced depression.
A single dose of DMT given after chronic stress reverses depression-like behaviors in mice, restoring pleasure-seeking and improving cognitive performance, with brain data showing increased hippocampal neurogenesis and corrected neuron placement. In many measures DMT outperformed fluoxetine, and benefits persisted even when dosing occurred under anesthesia, suggesting the conscious psychedelic experience may not be strictly necessary. Timing mattered: post-stress dosing yielded stronger cognitive recovery, underscoring a brain-plasticity window, but researchers caution that mouse results do not guarantee human outcomes and call for further translational work.
A Nature study finds SuperAgers (people 80 and older with unusually preserved cognition) generate more new neurons in the hippocampus than other older adults, suggesting that increased neurogenesis may help maintain brain health. The findings point to a unique resilience signature in SuperAgers but are based on post‑mortem, cross‑sectional data, so they show associations rather than proving that boosting neurogenesis prevents dementia. The researchers and clinicians emphasize that lifestyle factors—regular aerobic exercise, a Mediterranean-style diet, lifelong learning, social engagement, and adequate sleep—may support brain renewal and cognitive health.
A study of 38 postmortem brains links exceptional memory in superagers to higher hippocampal neurogenesis, finding roughly twice as many immature neurons as in typical older adults; Alzheimer's groups show reduced immature neurons, while genetic data point to stronger synaptic plasticity and BDNF activity in superagers, suggesting neurogenesis as a driver of cognitive resilience and a potential therapeutic target.
A Nature-published study from Northwestern and the University of Illinois Chicago finds that adults 80+ who are labeled 'super-agers' generate about twice as many immature hippocampal neurons as typical older adults, suggesting a genetic/molecular basis for preserved cognition and notable brain plasticity, though the small sample size and brain variability warrant cautious interpretation.
New Nature study finds that older adults with healthy cognition, including 'super agers', continue to produce immature neurons in the hippocampus at higher levels than those with cognitive decline, suggesting persistent neurogenesis may support memory; the neuron fraction is tiny (~0.01%), and the small sample sizes mean results should be interpreted cautiously; researchers hope to harness this process to develop therapies that boost neurogenesis in aging and Alzheimer's.
A Nature study finds that super-agers (80+) have roughly twice as many new neurons in the hippocampus as older adults with normal memory, and about 2.5 times more than people with Alzheimer’s, suggesting adult neurogenesis may help explain their exceptional memory and cognitive resilience.
A study of self-described “SuperAgers”—people over 80 with exceptional memory—shows they have more newly formed neurons and a hippocampal environment that supports neurogenesis, along with thicker attention-related brain regions and fewer tau tangles than typical aging. Using multiomic single-cell sequencing across donor brains, researchers found astrocytes and CA1 neurons drive memory retention, suggesting that a combination of genetics and brain-healthy lifestyle supports sustained cognition into advanced age.
A Florida Atlantic University study shows boosting the muscle-derived protein Cathepsin B in mice with Alzheimer’s preserves memory and brain cell growth, even without reducing amyloid plaques, suggesting muscle signaling to the brain could be a new avenue for neurodegenerative therapies—though benefits did not extend to healthy mice and human relevance remains to be proven.
Shrews reduce brain size by about 30% in winter to conserve energy and regrow it in spring; new research traces the genetic basis of Dehnel's phenomenon, showing upregulated brain-formation genes, VEGFA, DNA repair and longevity pathways, and water-regulation changes that imply reversible brain-volume loss rather than neuron death—offering clues for neurodegenerative disease research.
Johns Hopkins researchers found that loss of the brain enzyme cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE), which makes hydrogen sulfide, causes memory loss and Alzheimer’s-like brain damage in mice, highlighting CSE as a potential drug target to boost brain health and slow neurodegeneration.