Scientists from the USA and Australia have found that the PF4 protein found in the blood is responsible for improving mental abilities. Research published in group journals Nature (Nature, Nature Aging and Nature Communication).
Platelets are cells that play an important role in the blood clotting process. During their lifetime, they secrete many molecules, among them the PF4 protein (platelet factor 4). It has been shown to support the immune system’s response to injury and infection. In new research, scientists have found that it also plays a role in mechanisms that slow down aging.
Previous experiments have shown that transfusing blood from young animals to old animals can rejuvenate their organs, including the brain. As it turns out, this is due, at least in part, to the protein PF4, whose blood level is higher in young mice than in older mice. By introducing PF4 to older rodents, the scientists confirmed its role in rejuvenation: the procedure improved their memory.
In another study using mice, scientists found that PF4 helps improve cognition in a protein called klotho by participating in signaling in the brain. After both young and old mice were injected with klotho, their scores on intelligence tests increased, resulting in the release of PF4. This increased the formation of new connections in the hippocampus, an area of the brain that plays a key role in memory formation.
The scientists also showed that exercise led to an increase in the release of PF4 into the mice’s blood. Numerous studies show that regular exercise can help keep your mind sharp, and PF4 may play an important role in this. In the future, treatments that will benefit from exercise may be developed for those who cannot lead a normal life.
While all of the studies were done on mice, it is thought that these results may also apply to the human body.
The research was led by scientists from the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of Queensland in Australia. They studied independently and came to the same conclusions about the role of PF4. This highlights the reliability and reproducibility of their results.
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