Another factor of aging

A group of researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Research and the University of California, San Diego has identified a new aging factor - a decrease in the level of lipids in the brain of 3–sulfogalactosyldiacylglycerols (SGDH), which have anti-inflammatory properties.

A large-scale study of lipids (lipidomics) using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with modern data analysis made it possible to obtain a lipid profile of the brain of mice of five age groups (from one year to 18 months) and to evaluate the biological activity of SGDH molecules. The analysis showed that they have anti-inflammatory properties that protect against the development of neurodegenerative disorders and other neurological conditions associated with chronic inflammation in the brain.

The team also found that SGDGS exist in the brains of humans and primates, and therefore may play an important role not only in mice, but also in other animals. In the future, the authors plan to prove with the help of new studies that the deficiency of SGDH contributes to the development of neurodegenerative diseases in humans.

It is currently unknown why the level of SGDH decreases with aging and what mechanisms are responsible for their formation and cleavage. The study of these issues will help to unravel the molecular basis of brain aging, uncover new mechanisms underlying age-related neurological diseases, and open up opportunities for the development of new treatments.

Article D.Tan et al. A class of anti-inflammatory lipids decrease with aging in the central nervous system is published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.

Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies: Salk scientists discover anti-inflammatory molecules that decline in the aging brain.