Brain-resident immune cells that have reached an old-age state called “senescence” secrete a protein that causes dysfunction in other brain cells, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. The discovery sheds light on how aging impairs memory and cognition and makes the brain vulnerable to neurodegenerative disorders.
The researchers, whose findings are published in Neuron, observed that in a mouse model of accelerated aging, many immune cells in the brain enter a nondividing, dysfunctional, senescent state and begin secreting a protein called DLK1. This protein disrupts other brain cells, in particular neurons and the oligodendrocytes that help protect nerve fibers. The findings suggest that DLK1-driven dysfunction may be a key mechanism through which aging leads to reduced brain function and increased neurodegenerative disease risk.
“One strategy we hope to test is to neutralize this secreted protein in the brain to see if that effectively slows brain aging,” said study lead author Dr. Li Gan, the Burton P. and Judith B. Resnick Distinguished Professor in Neurodegenerative Diseases and director of the Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Rest of the article:
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-protein-secreted-immune-cells-brain.html