Trigger of Aging Discovered – May be Reversed by Simple Supplement

Another effect of the loss of Menin is the decline in levels of the amino acid D-serine, an enzyme required in the production of neurotransmitters and the communication between neurons to maintain optimal brain function.

The authors showed this decline was due to loss of activity of an enzyme involved in its synthesis (which was in turn regulated by Menin).

Could reversing age-related Menin loss also reverse signs of physiological aging?

To test that, the authors delivered the gene for Menin into the hypothalamus of elderly (20-month-old) mice. 30 days later, they found improvements in skin thickness and bone mass, learning, cognition, and balance, which correlated with an increase in D-serine within the hippocampus.

Remarkably, similar benefits on cognition, (but not on the peripheral signs of aging) could be achieved by 3 weeks of dietary supplementation with D-serine.

There is much left to be learned about Menin’s role in aging, the researchers are speculating that supplements of menin and the amino acid D-serine could potentially reverse aspects of aging in humans.