Aging is an inevitable process, but new scientific discoveries give hope that its effects can be significantly mitigated. A study published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature has revealed an important link between chronic inflammation, age-related changes in the brain, and one specific hormone: prostaglandin E2.
This hormone has long been known to science: it regulates inflammatory processes in the body. But now it has become clear that with age, the level of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) increases significantly, and this can have disastrous consequences for brain health. The EP2 receptor, which is activated by the action of PGE2, turned out to be especially harmful.
It is the EP2 receptor that triggers the mechanism of chronic exhaustion of immune cells — macrophages. Instead of consuming energy to protect the body, the cells accumulate it, losing efficiency. The result is chronic inflammation, metabolic disorders, deterioration of cognitive functions and the development of age-related diseases, including dementia.
Experiments on mice yielded unexpectedly encouraging results. When researchers blocked the action of the EP2 receptor in elderly rodents, their brains showed noticeable "rejuvenation" - the mice were better oriented in space, better remembered information, and generally behaved more actively than the control group.
This discovery has great significance: if we can safely block or modulate the action of the EP2 receptor in humans, we may be able to slow down or even partially reverse some of the effects of brain aging.
Scientists are already developing drugs that selectively inhibit the action of EP2 and are preparing for the first clinical trials in humans. This could open a new era in the fight not only against aging, but also against diseases related to inflammation, from Alzheimer's to autoimmune disorders.
Although effective treatments are still a long way off, this study proves that aging is not a death sentence. The future of healthy aging may be closer than we thought.
