New Study: Aging Slows Brain Detox, but There’s a Drug That Can Help Fix It

Researchers have reversed aging-related brain waste accumulation in mice, using a clinically approved drug to boost waste removal and potentially treat neurological disorders.

Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurological disorders are often considered “dirty brain” diseases, where the brain struggles to clear harmful waste. Aging significantly increases the risk of these conditions because, as we age, our brain’s ability to eliminate toxic buildup diminishes. However, recent research in mice shows that it may be possible to reverse these age-related changes and restore the brain’s waste-clearing processes.

“This research shows that restoring cervical lymph vessel function can substantially rescue the slower removal of waste from the brain associated with age,” said Douglas Kelley, PhD, a professor of Mechanical Engineering in the University of Rochester Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “Moreover, this was accomplished with a drug already being used clinically, offering a potential treatment strategy.” Kelley is one of the lead authors of the study, which appears in the journal Nature Aging, along with Maiken Nedergaard, MD, DMSc, co-director the University’s Center for Translational Neuromedicine.