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How can physical activity promote the development of new nerve cells in the brain and potentially delay the onset of Alzheimer’s?
Christiane Wrann, D.V.M, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA - United States
Background
Past studies suggest that exercise can improve memory and other cognitive functions by increasing the growth of new nerve cells in the brain, thereby possibly delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Nerve cells are produced from immature cells, and recent studies have found that a tiny region surrounding these immature cells — called the niche — supports their health and facilitates their development into brain cells. In previous studies, Dr. Christiane Wrann and colleagues have found that exercise may help activate proteins in the niche that foster new nerve cells. Dr. Wrann’s goal is to better understand how the niche protects and develops brain cells, and how exercise may facilitate this activity.
Research Plan
Dr. Wrann and colleagues will address these issues using genetically engineered Alzheimer’s-like mice. The researchers will have some of their mice undergo an exercise program and have other mice remain sedentary. Dr. Wrann will then use cutting-edge genetic techniques to determine how exercise affects the niche in the mice brain region (called the dentate gyrus), where many new nerve cells are generated. This experiment will identify a variety of niche molecules (proteins) that are increased by exercise and associated with nerve cell growth. Next, Dr. Wrann and her team will test whether the most promising of these molecules can help generate new nerve cells in a laboratory dish.
Impact
The study results could help clarify our understanding about the molecular mechanisms of new nerve cell growth and its impact on brain health. They could lead to more effective exercise-based therapies for delaying or slowing Alzheimer’s disease.
This project was made possible by the Heart of America Chapter.
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