Researchers are closer to finding a way to help rejuvenate neurons in the brain in a similar way exercise does.
If harnessed, it may be possible to offer pharmacological options to treat health problems when mobility is an issue.
University of Queensland researchers discovered platelets, the tiny blood cells critical for blood clotting, secrete a protein that rejuvenates neurons in aged mice in a similar way to physical exercise.
Dr Odette Leiter and Dr Tara Walker from the Queensland Brain Institute at University of Queensland led a team that made the discovery.
Dr Leiter said it's known exercise increases production of new neurons in the hippocampus - the part of the brain important for learning and memory - but how this happens wasn't known. The study showed platelets are needed for this effect in aged mice.
The researchers focused on exerkines, the biological compounds released into the bloodstream during exercise, which are believed to stimulate the exercise-induced response in the brain.
"We discovered that the exerkine CXCL4/Platelet factor 4 or PF4, which is released from platelets after exercise, results in regenerative and cognitive improvements when injected into aged mice," Dr Leiter said.
Dr Walker said the findings have significant implications for the development of drug interventions.
"For a lot of people with health conditions, mobility issues or of advanced age, exercise isn't possible, so pharmacological intervention is an important area of research," she said.
"We can now target platelets to promote neurogenesis, enhance cognition and counteract age-related cognitive decline."
The researchers said the next step is to test the response in Alzheimer diseased mice, before moving towards human trials.
"It's important to note this is not a replacement for exercise," Dr Walker said.
"But it could help the very elderly or someone who has had a brain injury or stroke to improve cognition."
The study is published in Nature Communications.
