New Brain Cells Found in Adults: Study Confirms Neurogenesis
Summary: New Swedish evidence supports that the human brain still makes new neurons in the hippocampus, even late in life. Not only does this discovery put an earlier controversy to rest, but it promises to uncover new avenues to developing memory-enhancing and brain-restoring treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression.
Your Brain Keeps Growing: Study Confirms New Neurons Form in Adulthood
Can your brain actually grow new cells as you get older? Yes! Groundbreaking research reveals the adult human brain still forms neurons, even well into advanced age.
For decades, scientists argued over whether new brain cells, called neurons, could be grown in adult humans. Now, a breathtaking new study at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet puts the argument to rest. Employing cutting-edge technology and human infant brain tissue transplanted to adult tissue aged 78, researchers proved that neurogenesis (the formation of new neurons) is still active in part of the brain responsible for learning and memory: the hippocampus.
This finding is bigger than the academic; it’s a hopeful first step down the path to possible remedies for
- Memory loss
- Neurodegenerative disease
- Mental illness
Unlocking the Mystery of Adult Neurogenesis
For many years, the belief that brain cell growth stopped in childhood dominated neuroscience. Until then, until work hinted that the hippocampus, a key area for emotion, memory, and learning, might have had some ability to grow back.
In 2013, researchers led by Dr. Jonas Frisén at Karolinska Institutet, employed carbon-14 dating in the brain tissue to demonstrate that new neurons actually developed in adults. However, the sceptics continued to be unconvinced because they had not yet identified the neural progenitor cells (stem cells that become neurons) in adult brains.
Now, they have.
How the Scientists Proved It
To end the debate for good, researchers examined brain tissue samples of 0 to 78-year-old individuals using:
- Single-nucleus RNA sequencing: to monitor gene expression within individual nuclei of cells
- Flow cytometry: to analyse cell characteristics and maturity
- Machine learning: to chart neuron development stages
- RNascope & Xenium: to determine where the new cells are positioned in brain tissue
Working together, these instruments showed that neural progenitor cells in fact are dividing and located in the dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampus related to memory and cognitive flexibility.
A Brain Built for Lifelong Adaptation
Surprisingly, the study found that human neural stem cells closely resemble those in animal species like mice, pigs, and monkeys. But gene pattern activity and progenitor cell numbers varied quite sharply between people.
Some of the adults contained numerous neural precursors, and some contained few, which indicated that environment, lifestyle, or genetics could determine brain plasticity.
What This Means for Brain Health
“These results give us a deeper understanding of how the brain changes across the lifespan,” says Professor Frisén.
More importantly, it opens up the possibility of regenerative treatments aimed at boosting neurogenesis in patients with:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Depression
- Parkinson’s disease
- Other memory and cognitive disorders
In other words, your brain might be more repairable than we thought.
Conclusion: The Brain’s Regenerative Secret Is Out
This groundbreaking study verifies what many scientists long suspected: the adult brain can generate new brain cells even late in life. With this research, scientists are closer to forging targeted treatments that harness the brain’s own powers to heal, learn, and stay sharp even well into old age.
Dane
I am an MBBS graduate and a dedicated medical writer with a strong passion for deep research and psychology. I enjoy breaking down complex medical topics into engaging, easy-to-understand content, aiming to educate and inspire readers by exploring the fascinating connection between health, science, and the human mind.
