Neuronal Aging – Is it reversible?

The main risk factor for neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer disease, is aging. At molecular level, aging correlates, in peripheral tissues and in the central nervous system with epigenetic changes at the chromatin (histones and DNA) of aged cells. These molecular changes can be reverted by the expression of the, so called, Yamanaka factors (YF). YF can reprogram (rejuvenate) old cells to cells with structural and functional characteristics of young cells. In the case of the nervous system, upon YF expression, an increase in cognitive capacity can be found. Our future objective, to extrapolate the results found in mice to the human being, will be to look for simple and small chemical compounds with a similar capacity, to that of YF, to revert the structural and functional changes found during aging development.