Recent research on the blood-brain barrier has elucidated the role of mucin-domain glycoproteins, which form a gel-like barrier around brain blood vessels. As this gel deteriorates with age, cognitive capacity in mice declines. Restoring these mucins enhances performance in cognitive tests, highlighting their potential impact in treating neurological conditions. The work emphasizes the importance of further research into mucins, not only in neurological treatments but also in broader biological contexts, prompting new inquiries into their therapeutic applications.
In an analysis of the paper, also published at Nature, Heidi Ledford described these mucins as forming "a water-laden, gel-like substance." The mucins in this case can be found around the brain's blood vessels; the scientists behind the paper found that this gel deteriorated as it aged, which was associated with reduced cognitive capacity in the mice being studied.
One of the paper's authors, Stanford University biochemist Carolyn Bertozzi, told Nature that, after she and her colleagues had replenished the mucins on the mice's brains, they found that the mice were better able to complete tests. "[T]hey do better on those tests after we restore the mucin barrier," Bertozzi said.
The findings of Bertozzi and her colleagues could prompt future research on mucins' role in the brain and elsewhere in the body.
Gifu University Hospital's Hideshi Okada, told Nature that he'd like to explore the potential therapeutic benefits of mucins in the treatment of neurological disorders.
Collection
[
|
...
]