Scientists Discover Gene Responsible for Brain's Aging

Will scientists one day be able to slow the aging of the brain and prevent diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's? Perhaps -- at least once the genetic coding associated with neuronal degeneration has been unraveled.

According to a new study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, a research team from the Université de Montréal, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have identified a mutation in mice that dramatically accelerates the process of aging in the brain and the eye. The new study reveals that neurons in the retina and cerebral cortex require a gene called Bmi1 to prevent activation of the p53 pathway and the accumulation of free radicals.