A new discovery has been found in adults around age 65 that greatly affects their aging of their brain. Columbia University Medical Center found that the gene TMEM106B has different variants that causes this abnormal aging in older adults. After studying data from various autopsied brain samples, researchers came up with a measure called differential aging. Differential aging is the difference between an individuals apparent age (biological) and their true age (chronological). This gene TMEM106B begins to take effect once people reach the age of 65 but researchers found a second variant inside the proganulin gene that affects brain aging as well. These two genes are found on separate chromosomes but are in the same signaling pathway.
It seems like if you have these genetic variants then brain aging is accelerated and causes you to be more vulnerable to brain diseases like Alzheimer's. These discoveries could help researchers to look into potential new targets for preventing and treating certain brain aging diseases.
The discovery of this gene and its variants is an important discovery in the process of treating age-related brain diseases. With the discovery of differential aging, it is possible to understanding the patterns and biological underpinnings of cognitive and behavioral changes throughout adulthood and correlate this to further look into brain aging and the problems associated with it.
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