Youthful Elixir: Transfusion of Brain Fluid from Young Mice Elevates Memory in Older Animals

The transfusion of brain liquid from young mice can improve the memory in old animals

One of the signs that someone is getting older is their inability to recall small things. Maybe they lose their keys or get lost along a familiar route. A laboratory mouse can be stung by an electric shock if they forget that bright lights, a high-pitched hum, and a buzzing sound are all around them.

Researchers at Stanford University found that by transfusing cerebrospinal liquid from a young mouse to an older one, the old mouse will regain its memory and experience a froze in anticipation. Researchers at Stanford University also discovered a protein that is found in the cerebrospinal liquid, or CSF. This protein penetrates to the hippocampus where it improves memory.

The intriguing breakthrough, published in Nature on Wednesday, suggests that drugs targeting the same pathways or factors that are youthful in the CSF could be used to slow down the cognitive declines associated with old age. It is also important because it shows, for the first-time, the potential for CSF to be used as a way to deliver therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases into the fissures in the brain that are hard to reach.

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Transfusion of brain fluid from young mice is a memory-elevating elixir for old animals