Transcriptome analysis of human dorsal striatum implicates attenuated canonical WNT signaling in neuroinflammation and in age-related impairment of striatal neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that age-dependent attenuation of canonical WNT signaling plays a pivotal role in regulating striatal plasticity during aging. Dysregulation of WNT/β-catenin signaling via astrocyte-microglial interactions is suggested to be a novel mechanism that drives the decline of striatal neurogenesis and altered synaptic connectivity and plasticity, leading to a subsequent decrease in motor and cognitive performance with age. These findings may aid in the development of therapies targeting WNT/β-catenin signaling to combat cognitive and motor impairments associated with aging.PMID:34275915 | DOI:10.3233/RNN-211161

Source: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience - July 19, 2021 Category: Neurology Authors: Chun Wu Raphael M Bendriem William J Freed Chun-Ting Lee Source Type: research