Could rejuvenating the aging liver help protect the brain? Reversing age-related changes in liver cells reduced circulating amyloid beta and cholesterol in rats, revealing a potential new approach to tackling age-related disease. Written byBree Foster, PhD

Could rejuvenating the aging liver help protect the brain? Reversing age-related changes in liver cells reduced circulating amyloid beta and cholesterol in rats, revealing a potential new approach to tackling age-related disease. Written byBree Foster, PhD https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/could-rejuvenating-the-aging-liver-help-protect-the-brain-17625 When thinking about the organs that influence brain health, the liver is unlikely to be the first that comes to mind. Yet the two organs are more closely connected than they might appear. As well as regulating metabolism, the liver is one of the body's main filtration systems, processing blood to remove toxins and waste products — including a key protein associated with Alzheimer's disease, amyloid beta. As the organ ages, its ability to filter substances from the blood declines, potentially allowing substances linked to age-related diseases to accumulate in circulation. Now, researchers have published a study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry that found that treating aged rats with an experimental drug called cinaciguat can restore aspects of this function, halving circulating levels of amyloid beta and reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to levels seen in younger animals.