MIAMI: Exercise boosts a protein in the brain that protects against dementia, according to new research.
The findings could help explain why physical activity helps ward off Alzheimer’s disease – and may lead to a new therapy for the incurable illness.
Experiments on mice found running on an exercise wheel increassed production of the gene called SIRT3 which is found in mitochondria, the powerhouse of cells.
The enzyme is among a family of genes dubbed the sirtuins wich have been found to occur more commonly in centenarian men than in the general population.
Sirtuins are playing a growing role in research into aging. They have been linked to longevity in nematode worms and fruit flies, and genetic manipulation has suggested increasing production can extend life by 50 percent.
Now the new animal study shows how exercise may energize brain cell function by producing SIRT3…