Supporting actors take lead role as our brains age

The main changes in our brains as we get older are in the brain cells with a supporting role, called glial cells, British scientists have found. The surprising finding in a study by researchers at UCL and the Francis Crick Institute is published in the journal Cell Reports. The researchers also found that the greatest changes in glial cells as we age are in the brain regions most often damaged by neurodegenerative disease, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The discovery suggests the interactions between glial cells and neuronal cells, the nerve cells active in mental function and forming memories, should be a focus of future dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease research. Jernej Ule, a Group Leader at the Francis Crick Institute and a professor at UCL's Institute of Neurology, said: "Sadly, getting older affects the brain just as much as other parts of the body. To understand more, we looked at how different types of brain cells change over time in healthy individuals. Knowing more about healthy ageing in different parts of the brain can also give us an insight into the damage caused by diseases like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's.