OREANDA-NEWS  Cognitive decline and premature aging are caused by a lack of a specific protein in red blood cells, which is responsible for the release of oxygen. This is the conclusion reached by American and Chinese scientists in the course of a corresponding study. The results of scientific work are published in the journal PLOS Biology.

In particular, due to a lack of oxygen, not only aging and cognitive impairment develop, but also hearing loss with age.

The researchers made the corresponding conclusions during an experiment on mice. So, with a low blood level of the ADORA2B protein, the rodents problems with memory and hearing arose, inflammatory processes in the brain were triggered, and the rate of aging accelerated.

The ADORA2B protein is present in the membranes of red blood cells and is involved in the release of oxygen from the blood. However, as the body ages, the concentration of protein in the blood decreases significantly.

According to study leader Dr. Yang Xia of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Texas McGovern School of Medicine,  the discovery could be used to develop drugs that activate ADORA2B, , but first, scientists need to answer the question of whether such treatment can prevent premature aging and reduce cognitive impairment. ■