Tiny powerhouses could protect our brains as we age
French and Canadian researchers have managed to reverse memory and movement problems in mice with dementia-like symptoms.
Their trick? A new tool called mitoDREADD-Gs, which jump-starts the energy factories (mitochondria) inside brain cells—showing these tiny powerhouses play a bigger role in brain health than we thought.
Mitochondria make more energy
When switched on by a specific drug, mitoDREADD-Gs helped mitochondria make more energy, restoring memory in mice with dementia-like symptoms.
This suggests that keeping mitochondria powered up could be a potential key to protecting our brains as we age.
Future medicines might help slow or even prevent neuron loss
This approach is still experimental, but the team plans to see if boosting mitochondrial energy can help with other brain disorders too.
If it works out, future medicines might help slow or even prevent neuron loss by targeting these cell powerhouses directly.