‘Slime’ Keeps the Brain Safe ― and Could Guard Against Ageing
mrpg writes:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00554-w
A slimy barrier lining the brain's blood vessels could hold the key to shielding the organ from the harmful effects of ageing, according to a study in mice.
The study showed that this oozy barrier deteriorates with time, potentially allowing harmful molecules into brain tissue and sparking inflammatory responses. Gene therapy to restore the barrier reduced inflammation in the brain and improved learning and memory in aged mice. The work was published today in Nature1.
The finding shines a spotlight on a cast of poorly understood molecules called mucins that coat the interior of blood vessels throughout the body and give mucus its slippery texture, says Carolyn Bertozzi, a Nobel-prizewinning chemist at Stanford University in California and a lead author of the study. "Mucins play a lot of interesting roles in the body," she says. "But until recently, we didn't have the tools to study them. They were invisible."
Mucins are large proteins decorated with carbohydrates that form linkages with one another, creating a water-laden, gel-like substance. They are crucial constituents of the blood-brain barrier, a system that restricts the movement of some molecules from the blood into the brain.
Researchers have long sought ways to sneak medicines past this barrier to treat diseases of the brain. Previous work also showed that the integrity of the barrier erodes with age2, suggesting that it could be an important target for therapies to combat diseases associated with ageing, such as Alzheimer's disease.
But scientists knew little about the contribution of mucins to these changes, until Sophia Shi, a graduate student at Stanford, decided to focus on a mucin-rich layer called the glycocalyx, which lines blood vessels. Shi and her colleagues looked at what happens to the glycocalyx in the brain as mice age. "The mucins on the young blood vessels were thick and juicy and plump," says Bertozzi. "In the old mice, they were thin and lame and patchy."
[Ed's Note: Unable to access the full article. If you have full access please leave a link in the comments.--JR]
Journal Reference:
Ledford, Heidi. 'Slime' keeps the brain safe and could guard against ageing, (DOI: 10.1038/d41586-025-00554-w)
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.