2023-08-09 10:32:55
A treatment combining two drugs can rejuvenate the brains of some fish, but also protect them once morest future diseases or injuries. This discovery paves the way for new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
This discovery was made by researchers from the University of Leuven. It has just been published in the online scientific journal NPJ Regenerative Medicine.
The killi is a small turquoise-colored African fish that lives in temporary pools fed by rainwater. The animal therefore only has a few months to grow and reproduce. All its development is therefore accelerated: growth, sexual maturity, but also aging. This explains the interest that scientists have for it.
The killi ages like the man
In four to six months, fish go through the entire life cycle, the fastest of all known vertebrate organisms. The killi’s aging process also resembles that of humans: it turns gray, has a twisted back and suffers from memory loss (dementia).
Researchers from the biology department of the University of Louvain, the only ones currently working on this species, have set out to find the underlying mechanisms responsible for the weak repair capacity of brain cells at work in the killi and thus discovered that his brain was subject to ‘cellular senescence’. In other words, ‘diseased’ or ‘aged’ brain cells are present in large numbers and secrete harmful substances that prevent the normal functioning and recovery of the surrounding brain cells.
Eliminate 30% of senescent cells
“We were able to confirm this with a specific stain that allowed us to visualize these cells,” explains researcher Jolien Van Houcke. ‘The difference between young and old brains was huge, with the old brain showing a large amount of diseased and aging cells.’
There are, however, drugs, Dasatinib and Quercetin, that can kill these cells and these were first given in combination to the fish in question for a week in this study.
“Even with this brief treatment, we were able to eliminate 30% of the senescent cells, so that less harmful substances spread to the brain,” explains Jolien Van Houcke. ‘We didn’t just rejuvenate the brain, it also improved its ability to recover: the older fish had more stem cells dividing following the treatment that might turn into new nerve cells, which is needed to brain repair following injury or disease.’
Indicated for Alzheimer or Parkinson
Dasatinib and Quercetin, the combination of which has already been tested in clinical studies, are two drugs that have been approved for use in humans but for the treatment of other pathologies caused by ‘aging’ cells in other parts of the body, such as kidney damage in diabetic patients.
The study from the University of Louvain confirms that this combination of drugs can also provide a solution to diseases linked to the aging of the brain, such as in the case of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Further clinical studies are needed, however, to demonstrate the effects in humans.
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