Key points from article :
Irisin, secreted by the muscles during exercise, could be an effective therapeutic for addressing cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease.
In mouse models, genetic deletion of irisin impairs cognitive function in exercise, aging and Alzheimer’s.
Caused by alterations of newborn neurons in the hippocampus.
Elevating irisin levels in the blood improved cognitive function and neuroinflammation in mouse for Alzheimer’s disease.
“These effects can possibly go well beyond what exercise itself can bring,” - Christiane Wrann, senior author of the study.
Irisin was able to cross the blood-brain barrier and directly affect the brain.
Protects against neuroinflammation by acting directly on glia cells in the brain.
Treatment was effective in Alzheimer’s disease mouse models even after the development of significant pathology.
“...it could have beneficial effects on neurodegenerative diseases beyond just Alzheimer’s,” - Wrann.
Study by Massachusetts General Hospital published in Nature Metabolism.
