Researchers have linked the brain enzyme PLA2G2F to better-preserved memory in aging mice and to mental resilience in some older adults, though whether it can protect human memory remains unknown.
The study was published on October 15 in Nature Neuroscience. Researchers identified the enzyme after screening for genes activated when connections between neurons were lost in the hippocampus, a brain region important for memory. The gene that produces PLA2G2F became more active with age, and tests that altered its levels in mice suggested it could influence how the brain ages.
Mice with reduced enzyme activity suffered greater loss of brain connections, more inflammation, disrupted fat processing, and memory problems. In contrast, boosting the enzyme helped preserve brain connections and supported performance on spatial-memory tests. In human brain data, PLA2G2F activity was higher in people who retained thinking skills despite having amyloid deposits linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Because the analysis evaluated only 13 human brains, this finding remains preliminary. Laboratory experiments with human microglia, the immune cells of the brain, also suggested the enzyme can reduce buildups of fat droplets and cholesterol esters. The researchers describe PLA2G2F as a possible protective defense mechanism.
They say further work is needed to understand how the enzyme works and whether safely increasing its activity could benefit people.