科学家称，他们利用一种简单的鼻喷剂逆转了大脑衰老

德克萨斯农工大学的研究人员表示，他们可能找到了一种方法来实现这一目标，即使用一种旨在减少大脑炎症的简单鼻喷剂。在一项新研究中，科学家报告称，仅经过两次给药，该疗法就恢复了记忆，减轻了慢性炎症，并改善了脑细胞功能。

该团队认为，这些发现最终可能为与衰老和认知衰退相关的疾病（包括痴呆症和阿尔茨海默病）带来新的疗法。

多年来，科学家们已经知道，衰老的大脑经常经历持续的低水平炎症，这一过程被称为“神经炎性衰老”。这种慢性炎症会干扰记忆、思维以及大脑适应新情况的能力。它也被认为是神经退行性疾病的一个主要诱因。

现在，研究人员表示，这一过程可能并非是永久性的。

该研究由再生医学研究所副所长、大学杰出教授 Ashok Shetty 博士领导，高级研究科学家 Madhu Leelavathi Narayana 博士和 Maheedhar Kodali 博士共同参与。他们的研究结果发表在《细胞外囊泡杂志》上。

“像痴呆症这样的脑部衰老相关疾病是全球主要的健康问题，”Shetty 说，“我们要展示的是，大脑衰老是可以逆转的，从而帮助人们保持思维敏捷、社交活跃，并免受与年龄相关的衰退之苦。”

实验性鼻喷剂的工作原理

该疗法依赖于被称为细胞外囊泡的微小生物颗粒。这些微小结构天然地在细胞之间运输遗传物质。在这种情况下，它们装载了微小RNA，这是一种有助于调节大脑重要生物过程的分子。

“微小RNA就像主调节因子，”Narayana 说，“它们帮助调控和调节大脑中的许多基因和信号通路。”

研究人员通过鼻喷剂递送细胞外囊泡，使治疗能够绕过大脑的保护屏障，直接进入脑组织。

“递送方式是我们方法中最令人兴奋的方面之一，”Kodali 说，“鼻内递送使我们能够在无需侵入性手术的情况下，直接到达并治疗大脑。”

一旦进入大脑，该疗法就会靶向参与慢性炎症的免疫细胞。据研究人员介绍，该疗法抑制了炎症系统，如NLRP3炎症小体和cGAS-STING信号通路，这两者都与衰老相关的大脑炎症密切相关。

恢复大脑的细胞能量

该疗法的作用不仅仅是简单地减轻炎症。

* *Draft:* 科学家还发现，它恢复了线粒体的活性，线粒体是细胞内部负责产生能量的微小结构。 * *Refinement:* "Restored activity" -> 恢复了...活性. The appositive phrase flows well in Chinese. * *Sentence 2:* "Aging and inflammation can damage mitochondria, leaving brain cells less efficient and more vulnerable to decline." * *Key terms:* Aging (衰老), inflammation (炎症), damage (损伤), brain cells (脑细胞), less efficient (效率降低), vulnerable to decline (更容易衰退/易受衰退影响). * *Draft:* 衰老和炎症会损伤线粒体，导致脑细胞效率降低，且更容易发生衰退。 * *Refinement:* "Vulnerable to decline" -> 更易衰退. * *Sentence 3:* "By improving mitochondrial function, the therapy appeared to help brain cells recover their ability to process and store information." * *Key terms:* mitochondrial function (线粒体功能), therapy (疗法), process and store information (处理和存储信息). * *Draft:* 通过改善线粒体功能，该疗法似乎帮助脑细胞恢复了处理和存储信息的能力。 * *Sentence 4:* "'We are giving neurons their spark back by reducing oxidative stress and reactivating the brain's mitochondria,' Narayana said." * *Key terms:* neurons (神经元), spark (火花/活力), oxidative stress (氧化应激), reactivating (重新激活). * *Draft:* 纳拉亚纳（Narayana）说：“通过减少氧化应激并重新激活大脑线粒体，我们让神经元重获活力。” * *Refinement:* "Spark" is metaphorical. "重获活力" (regain vitality) or "重燃火花" (reignite spark). "重获活力" sounds more scientific but "火花" fits the metaphor. Let's go with "重获活力" or "重燃生机" for a professional tone, or stick closer to the metaphor if appropriate. "Giving neurons their spark back" -> 让神经元重获生机/活力. Let's use "重获生机" or "重燃活力". Let's stick to "重获活力" for clarity. Actually, "火花" is often used in Chinese translations for "spark" in this context. Let's try: "我们正在通过减轻氧化应激和重新激活大脑线粒体，让神经元重燃火花。" * *Sentence 5:* "The improvements were not limited to biological measurements." * *Draft:* 这些改善不仅限于生物学测量指标。 * *Sentence 6:* "Behavioral testing showed that treated models performed significantly better on memory and recognition tasks." * *Key terms:* Behavioral testing (行为测试), treated models (接受治疗的模型/受试模型), memory and recognition tasks (记忆和识别任务). * *Draft:* 行为测试表明，接受治疗的模型在记忆和识别任务上的表现显著优于未接受治疗的对照组。 * *注明:* The next sentence mentions "untreated controls", so I can add "对照组" here or just say "performed significantly better". Let's stick to the text: "表现显著更好". * *Sentence 7:* "They were more successful at identifying familiar objects, recognizing new ones, and detecting changes in their surroundings compared to untreated controls." * *Key terms:* identifying familiar objects (识别熟悉物体), recognizing new ones (辨认新物体), detecting changes (察觉变化), untreated controls (未接受治疗的对照组). * *Draft:* 与未接受治疗的对照组相比，它们在识别熟悉物体、辨认新物体以及察觉周围环境变化方面更为成功。 * *Sentence 8:* "'We are seeing the brain's own repair systems switch on, healing inflammation and restoring itself,' Shetty said." * *Key terms:* repair systems (修复系统), switch on (开启/激活), healing inflammation (消除炎症/治愈炎症), restoring itself (自我修复). * *Draft:* 谢蒂（Shetty）说：“我们看到大脑自身的修复系统被激活，正在消除炎症并进行自我修复。” * *Sentence 9:* "Perhaps most notably, the effects appeared quickly and lasted for months after only two doses." * *Key terms:* notably (值得注意的是), effects (效果), doses (剂量/给药). * *Draft:* 也许最值得注意的是，效果出现得很快，且仅在给药两次后就持续了数月。 * *Sentence 10:* "**Potential Implications for Dementia and Brain Health**" * *Draft:* **对痴呆症和大脑健康的潜在意义** * *Sentence 11:* "Researchers believe the approach could eventually have broad medical applications." * *Draft:* 研究人员认为，该方法最终可能具有广泛的医学应用前景。 * *Sentence 12:* "'As we develop and scale this therapy, a simple, two-dose nasal spray could one day replace invasive, risky procedures or maybe even months of medication,' Shetty said." * *Key terms:* scale (推广/规模化), nasal spray (鼻喷剂), invasive (侵入性), risky procedures (高风险手术/程序). * *Draft:* 谢蒂说：“随着我们开发和推广这种疗法，一种简单的双剂量鼻喷剂有朝一日可能会取代侵入性、高风险的手术，甚至可能取代长达数月的药物治疗。” * *Sentence 13:* "The findings may be especially important as dementia rates continue to rise." * *Draft:* 随着痴呆症发病率持续上升，这些发现可能尤为重要。 * *Sentence 14:* "In the United States, annual dementia cases are expected to increase from roughly 514,000 in 2020 to around 1 million by 2060." * *Key terms:* annual dementia cases (每年新增痴呆症病例/年度痴呆症病例数). * *Draft:* 在美国，预计每年的痴呆症新增病例将从2020年的约51.4万例增加到2060年的约100万例。 * *Refinement:* "Annual dementia cases" usually refers to incidence (new cases) or prevalence? The text says "cases are expected to increase...". Usually, these stats refer to incidence in this context or total burden. Let's translate literally as "年度痴呆症病例" or "每年痴呆症病例数". "Annual dementia cases" often implies incidence (new cases per year). Let's use "每年的痴呆症病例数". * *Sentence 15:* "'The trend signals a pressing need for policies and innovative interventions that can minimize both the risk and severity of neurodegenerative disorders like dementia,' Shetty said." * *Key terms:* pressing need (迫切需求), interventions (干预措施), neurodegenerative disorders (神经退行性疾病). * *Draft:* 谢蒂说：“这一趋势表明，迫切需要制定政策和创新干预措施，以最大限度地降低痴呆症等神经退行性疾病的风险和严重程度。” * *Sentence 16:* "The study also found similar treatment responses across both sexes, something researchers say is relatively uncommon in biomedical studies." * *Key terms:* both sexes (两性), biomedical studies (生物医学研究). * *Draft:* 研究还发现，两性对治疗的反应相似，研究人员称这在生物医学研究中相对少见。 * *Sentence 17:* "'It's universal,' Shetty said. 'Treatment outcomes were consistent and similar across both sexes.'" * *Draft:* “这是普遍适用的，”谢蒂说。“两性的治疗结果一致且相似。” * *Sentence 18:* "In the future, the therapy could potentially help stroke patients recover brain function or slow cognitive decline linked to aging." * *Key terms:* stroke patients (中风患者), cognitive decline (认知衰退). * *Draft:* 在未来，该疗法可能有助于中风患者恢复大脑功能，或减缓与衰老相关的认知衰退。 * *Sentence 19:* "'Our approach redefines what it means to grow old,' Shetty said. 'We're aiming for successful brain aging: keeping people engaged, alert and connected. Not just living longer, but living smarter and healthier,' Shetty said." * *Key terms:* successful brain aging (成功的大脑衰老/健康的大脑老龄化), engaged (参与社会/积极), alert (警觉/清醒), connected (保持联系/社交活跃). * *Draft:* “我们的方法重新定义了变老的含义，”谢蒂说。“我们的目标是实现成功的大脑老龄化：让人们保持积极、清醒和社交活跃。 “我们不仅致力于理解生物学机制，还在将研究成果转化并开发为能够产生实质性影响的现实疗法，”Shetty表示。 尽管在该疗法能够进行人体试验之前仍需开展更多研究，但这项研究提出了一种引人注目的可能性：大脑衰老未必是衰老过程中不可避免的一环。 “我们与美国国家老龄化研究所（NIA）的合作至关重要，”Shetty说道，“这类工作需要充足的资源和合适的人才来攻克难题，并开发出能够改变人们生活的解决方案。”