Rhesus Monkeys Get Better Memory with Anti-Aging Protein Klotho Injections

Anti-aging protein Klotho injections were given to several rhesus monkeys, and this improved their memory.

According to a study, giving a 'longevity factor' protein injection to aging monkeys can enhance their cognitive function. New therapeutics for neurological illnesses may result from the results.

It has never before been demonstrated that raising klotho levels can enhance a primate's cognitive function. Previous studies on mice had demonstrated that klotho injections might prolong their lifespan and promote synaptic plasticity, or the ability to regulate communication between neurons at junctions known as synapses.

This hormone, which is produced by the kidneys, appears to play several functions in the body, including regulating cell division and replication. According to New Scientist, the protein was named after the goddess Clotho, one of the Fates in Greek mythology, who was supposed to spin the thread of life. Levels of klotho in the blood steadily decline as people age.

Given the close genetic and physiological similarities between primates and people, Marc Busche, a UK Dementia Research Institute neurologist at University College London, noted that this could imply possible applications for treating human cognitive diseases.

Testing Memories of Rhesus Monkeys

According to Daily Mail, researchers previously observed that injecting mice with klotho could improve their cognitive performance. Now, they have identified the same consequence in rhesus macaques, which are more comparable to humans.

Rhesus macaques that were more than 22 years old on average were tested on their cognitive capacities before and after receiving a single injection of Klotho. In order to do this, scientists performed a behavioral experiment to test the monkeys' spatial memory. After the investigator had hidden a tasty treat in one of many wells, the monkeys had to recall where it was.

Dena Dubal, a physician-researcher and co-author of the study, likens the test to remembering where one parked their car or memorizing a series of numbers after hearing them for a short period of time. As humans age, these tasks that involve memory or recalling something get more difficult.

In these tests, the monkeys fared noticeably better after getting klotho; before the injections, they correctly recognized the wells about 45% of the time; following the injection, they did so around 60% of the time. A minimum of two weeks passed before the improvement stopped. In contrast to earlier mouse experiments, relatively modest dosages of klotho were efficacious. According to Busche, this gives the results greater intricacy and raises the possibility of a more subtle mode of action than was initially supposed.

Mysterious Ways of Anti-Aging Proteins

It is still unknown how exactly klotho injection affects cognition or why it lasts for such a long time. According to Dubal, because Klotho cannot get across the blood-brain barrier on its own, the key to understanding how it works is to identify the necessary intermediates. According to Busche, however, this data provides a very compelling justification for starting human clinical trials right away.

Neurosurgeon Gøril Rolfseng Grøntvedt of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim concurs that more investigation is required to resolve these issues.

This suggests that klotho can be artificially increased with positive results. Realizing the protein's clinical potential would require a greater knowledge of its mode of action, according to Grøntvedt, Nature reports.

The study, done by Dubal and her team, was published in the journal Nature Aging.