Scientists discover a major brain shift between ages 50 and 75
A study in Science found that from midlife the share of embryonic-origin microglia in the human hippocampus drops sharply, replaced by cells with an inflammatory profile, while the genome's three-dimensional structure becomes disordered. This may explain why age is the main risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases.
- At ages 50–75 microglia laid down in embryonic development drop sharply
- They are replaced by cells with blood immune cell traits and increased inflammation
- Cells supporting the blood-brain barrier also decline
- Three-dimensional genome packing breaks down in several brain cell types
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