In a surprising discovery, UCSF researchers found that the silent X chromosome in female mice reawakens late in life, boosting brain health. Veuer’s Maria Mercedes Galuppo has the story.
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00:00In a surprising discovery, UCSF researchers found that the silent X-chromosome in female mice
00:06reawakens late in life, boosting brain health. This sleeping X-chromosome,
00:11which was thought to be inactive, starts expressing important genes as the mice age,
00:16genes that help improve cognition and protect brain connections.
00:20One key gene, PLP1, stood out. It plays a crucial role in building the myelin that
00:25surrounds brain cells, improving signal transmission. Older female mice had more
00:30PLP1 in their hippocampus, a brain region critical for memory and learning, compared to males.
00:36When the team artificially boosted PLP1 levels,
00:39both male and female mice showed better memory and learning abilities.
00:44This discovery may explain why women's brains tend to be more resilient as they age,
00:49and researchers are now exploring whether this could be true in humans too.
00:53Could targeting the X-chromosome's genes help slow cognitive decline for both women and men
00:58as we age? The findings could pave the way for new brain health treatments in the future.