Scientists found a protein that drives brain aging — and how to stop it

UC San Francisco scientists identified FTL1 as a key protein driving brain aging in the hippocampus, where higher levels in older mice correlated with fewer neural connections and worse memory performance. Artificially increasing FTL1 in young mice made their brains function like aged brains, while reducing the protein in older mice reversed memory decline and restored neural connections. The protein slows cellular metabolism, but treating cells with metabolism-boosting compounds prevented the negative effects, offering potential pathways for future brain aging treatments.