Scientists reverse brain aging, with a nasal spray

cybermango 185 points 73 comments July 04, 2026
stories.tamu.edu · View on Hacker News

Discussion Highlights (14 comments)

amingilani

...in mice. > Therefore, this study examined the effects of late middle-aged (18-month-old) male and female C57BL6/J mice receiving two intranasal doses of hiPSC-NSC-EVs on neuroinflammaging in the hippocampus at 20.5 months of age. — https://isevjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jev...

fuckinpuppers

Mice get all the cool shit first

earth-tattoo

That's exactly what I want: immortal mice!

SubiculumCode

High impact journal for an interesting study that is admittedly largely out of my area of expertise. The limitation of it being done in animal models, is of course, noted, but also expected. The question I would ask is how well the underlying background research makes this outcome expected.

block_dagger

Flowers for Algernon’s Brain

gavinray

"Reverse brain aging", sure, in the same sense that taking Vitamin C reverses aging. The nasal spray reduced markers of inflammation in hippocampal microglial cells. A lot of things reduce inflammation. That is not "reversing ageing". Of course, "reduces inflammation" doesn't headline very well...

general_reveal

When can I snort this?

hoppp

I take N-acetylcysteine and it helps with brain fog also! Plus it reduces stress and irritability.

keepamovin

Ugh, I thought we were done with the Boomers....looks like they're gonna hang on.

timmg

How soon until biohackers try this on themselves?

catlifeonmars

TFA reeks of over-sensationalizing. Here is a summary sans hyperbole: Intranasal Human NSC-Derived EVs Therapy Can Restrain Inflammatory Microglial Transcriptome, and NLRP3 and cGAS-STING Signalling, in Aged Hippocampus[1]. Abstract: > Neuroinflammaging, a moderate, chronic, and sterile inflammation in the hippocampus, contributes to age-related cognitive decline. Neuroinflammaging comprises the activation of the nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat family, and pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes, and the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway that triggers type 1 interferon (IFN-1) signalling. Studies have shown that extracellular vesicles from human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem cells (hiPSC-NSC-EVs) contain therapeutic miRNAs that can alleviate neuroinflammation. Therefore, this study examined the effects of late middle-aged (18-month-old) male and female C57BL6/J mice receiving two intranasal doses of hiPSC-NSC-EVs on neuroinflammaging in the hippocampus at 20.5 months of age. Compared with animals receiving vehicle treatment, the hippocampus of animals receiving hiPSC-NSC-EVs exhibited reductions in astrocyte hypertrophy, microglial clusters, and oxidative stress, along with elevated expression of antioxidant proteins and genes that maintain mitochondrial respiratory chain integrity. Moreover, hiPSC-NSC-EVs therapy decreased the levels of various proteins involved in the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, p38/mitogen-activated protein kinase, cGAS-STING-IFN-1, and Janus kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription signalling pathways. Furthermore, in vitro assays using genetically engineered RAW cells and hiPSC-NSC-EVs, with or without targeted depletion of specific miRNAs, demonstrated that miRNA-30e-3p and miRNA-181a-5p, both present in hiPSC-NSC-EVs, can significantly inhibit the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and the STING pathway, respectively. Additionally, single-cell RNA sequencing conducted 7 days post-treatment revealed that hiPSC-NSC-EVs induce widespread transcriptomic changes in microglia, including increased expression of numerous genes that enhance oxidative phosphorylation and reduced expression of abundant genes that drive multiple proinflammatory signalling pathways. These changes mediated by hiPSC-NSC-EVs were also associated with improved cognitive and memory function. Thus, intranasal hiPSC-NSC-EVs therapy in late middle age can effectively diminish proinflammatory microglial transcriptome and signalling cascades that drive neuroinflammaging in the hippocampus, contributing to better brain function in old age. [1]: https://isevjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jev...

Joel_Mckay

Many Brain-aging study sample pools are from young folks that died in accidents, aged homeless alcoholics, and individuals that were in declining health. Most cultures find it taboo to donate their beloved family members bodies for scientific dissection. Thus, people get ingrained "[bigotry] with extra steps" similar to phrenology proponents. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpson%27s_paradox "Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance" =3

ChrisArchitect

Story from April; Some previous discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48288478

Alien1Being

Temu science at Tamu. I have an AI generated bridge that I can sell you...

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