Scientists say the prospect of an anti-aging vaccine that could prevent age-related mental decline is “closer than ever.”
The prospect of a jab capable of combating the “internal enemies” of aging, including dementia, could easily be dismissed as “fantasy”, according to a group of Israeli researchers.
But the Weizmann Institute of Science team said experts are closer to making this a reality than you might think.
writing in the diary Neuron They said: ‘It is exciting to imagine an immunological approach to reducing the threat of our internal enemies that cause our decline with age.
“We believe we are closer than ever to realizing these possibilities.”
They explained that with age, the immune system fails, leading to an increase in inflammation in the body, as well as an increase in so-called “zombie” cells.
These so-called senescent cells are those that have stopped functioning as they should but remain in the tissues instead of being eliminated.
Weizmann scientists said the brain was an organ particularly affected by this “immunological aging”, making it vulnerable to damage that leads to dementia-like symptoms.
Scientists say the prospect of an anti-aging vaccine that will rejuvenate our brains and prevent mental decline seen as a harbinger of dementia is “closer than ever.” stock image
Experts from Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science said that as people age, their immune system ages with them, leading to increased inflammation in the body, as well as an increase in so-called ‘zombie’ cell problems that They can prevent brain function.
They said researchers are trying to identify a specific type of protein that could be used to trigger an immune response in the brain, called an epitope, that could “serve as an anti-aging vaccine.”
The researchers also highlighted the possibility of using senolytics, a class of drugs that target zombie (non-functioning) cells, as another promising area.
Cognitive decline, a term that means a person begins to have problems with memory or thinking, can be an early sign of dementia, although this is not always the case.
Memory and concentration problems tend to become more common as we age, although it is not always a cognitive decline.
However, if people show these signs for a few months, charities say it may be a sign of cognitive decline.
Dementia itself is a general term used to describe a variety of progressive disorders that affect memory, thinking and behavior.
There are many types of dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common, although it can also be caused by problems with blood flow to the brain, such as after a stroke.
Dementia is a growing problem in Britain due to an aging population; It is estimated that almost one million people live with this condition, although this is expected to increase.
The disorder is thought to cost the country around £40bn a year, a combination of healthcare costs and loss of income from people needing time off work to care for family members.