Unexpected element in aging process discovered

VUB professor Ann Massie and her research group Neuro-Aging & Viro-Immunotherapy have published a surprising finding in an article in the leading journal Molecular Psychiatry. They have discovered a strategy that results in prolonged life expectancy and counteracts memory loss during the aging process. Professor Ann Massie: "According to figures from the World Health Organization, for the first time in history, the number of people over the age of 60 exceeds the number of children under the age of five. People over the age of 85 are the fastest growing part of the population in many countries. One of the most daunting consequences of rising life expectancy is the increase in people with cognitive decline or dementia. To ensure that the extra years are not spent in poor health, it is crucial to understand more about the physiological aging process and how it affects our brains. This may give us clues about how to prevent pathological aging and cognitive decline." Professor Massie's team is investigating the function of the so-called cystine/glutamate antiporter system xcin healthy and diseased brains.