Restricting calories is known to improve health and increase lifespan, but much of how it does so remains a mystery, especially in regard to how it protects the brain. Buck scientists have uncovered a role for a gene called OXR1 that is necessary for the lifespan extension seen with dietary restriction and is essential for healthy brain aging.
“When people restrict the amount of food that they eat, they typically think it might affect their digestive tract or fat buildup, but not necessarily about how it affects the brain,” said Kenneth Wilson, PhD, Buck postdoc and first author of the study, published online on January 11, 2024 in Nature Communications. “As it turns out, this is a gene that is important in the brain.”
Research Paper:
OXR1 maintains the retromer to delay brain aging under dietary restriction . Nature Communications , 2024; 15 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44343-3
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