Bone-derived Hormones Reverse Memory Loss in Mice

Columbia University researchers reversed memory loss in old age by increasing the level of osteocalcin in the blood, which is a hormone made by bone cells. This article explains the key facts and context behind hormones.

Key Facts About Hormones

The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, identified a hormone receptor called osteocalcin in the brain that can be used to treat cognitive decline in older people.

Dr. Gerard Karsenty, professor of medicine and president of the Department of Genetics & Development at Columbia University, said: "In previous studies, we found that osteocalcin plays many roles in the body, including the shoulder. games in memory ".

Why Hormones Matters

"We have also observed that hormones rapidly decline in humans during adulthood. That raises an important question: Can memory loss be reversed by restoring hormones? The answer is yes, at least for mice, which has opened up a new research pathway to reverse the cognitive decline with foreign hormones. vi ". .

The researchers gave the old mice continuous osteocalcin infusions over a two-month period, resulting in significant improvements in mice in memory tests.

The team also injected osteocalcin into old blood-deficient mice, resulting in no improvement in memory. According to the researchers, the addition of plasma before injecting osteocalcin into the mouse helps it improve memory.

Moreover, the researchers determined that osteocalcin binds to a receptor called Gpr158 found in the neuron of the CA3 region of the hippocampus region, the brain's memory center.