He cognitive decline It is the result of various diseases that affect the brain. According to WHO, More than 55 million people have dementia worldwide and there are 10 million new cases each year.. 70 percent is caused by Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Recently, according to a study published in the prestigious journal Natureadministration of a protein called klotho in long-lived primates, it improved cognitive function. This can lead, according to what UNQ Scientific News Agencyfor carrying out clinical trials in humans in the medium term.
Klotho is a protein naturally found in the body and its levels decrease with age. The name comes from the Greek goddess Clotho, one of the reapers who weaves the thread of life. scientists from UK Dementia Research Institute and the University of Californiashowed that injecting this protein into rhesus monkeys with an average age of 22 years improved their cognitive abilities.
To assess these skills and test spatial memory, the researchers used a behavior experiment: Monkeys had to remember the location of an edible treat after researchers hid it. Before the injections, the animals were successful 40% of the time, while after the injection this percentage rose to 60%. It is also worth mentioning that the improvement was maintained for two weeks.
The success achieved in remembering the location of the candy is compared, according to scientists, with locating where the car was parked, or with remembering a sequence of numbers a few minutes after hearing it; tasks that become more difficult to solve over time.
This is the first time this phenomenon has been demonstrated in primates.since tests had already been carried out in mice and it was proven that klotho prolonged life and improved neuronal communication.
While there is evidence of benefit, it is not yet known how klotho injection works. this protein is unable to cross the blood-brain barrier, which is the group of cells that surround the blood vessels in the brain and prevent large molecules, immune cells, and potentially harmful substances from passing from the bloodstream into the nervous system. If klotho fails to pass, the researchers think that the answer lies in the intermediaries that are generated.
A better understanding of how the protein works is crucial to understanding its clinical potential and arriving at effective treatments in the future.