New research shows the human brain may make fresh neurons even in seventies
Here’s some exciting news: a new study shows that the human brain doesn’t stop producing new nerve cells (neurons) once you hit adulthood. Researchers examined brain tissue samples from individuals aged from childhood up to 78 years old and found clear evidence of neural progenitor cells—those are the early-stage cells that can turn into neurons—active in the brain’s memory-related region, the hippocampus. The research firmed up what a few earlier studies had hinted at: even older adults have a capacity for neuron generation.
They used advanced methods including single-nucleus RNA sequencing and flow cytometry to pinpoint these cells and trace their activity from stem-cell stage through immature neurons. Notably the progenitor cells were located in the dentate gyrus part of the hippocampus, which is a key place for forming memories and adapting to change. The study also found that while many adults had these cells, there was substantial variation—some had many, others few or none—suggesting individual differences in how much this process persists.
What this means is that the adult human brain remains more plastic than we once thought. If you’ve been worried that brain repair or new learning capacity disappears with age, this gives reason for optimism. It opens doors for treatments that might stimulate new neuron growth in disorders like depression or Alzheimer’s type dementia. The study was led by researchers at the Karolinska Institutet and published in the journal Science.
Research Paper 📄
DOI: 10.1126/science.adu9575
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