Scientists may have found aging’s hidden trigger for brain disease

Scientists have identified a molecular switch that may explain why aging increases the brain's vulnerability to diseases such as ALS and Huntington's disease. They found that in worms, the protein EPS8 accumulates with age. This protein triggers signaling that encourages toxic proteins to clump together. The clumping of toxic proteins damages neurons and shortens lifespan. Reducing EPS8 activity prevented the formation of these harmful aggregates. Simultaneously, nerve function was preserved. This discovery suggests a potential aging mechanism related to neurodegenerative diseases.