In Texas, age-related brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s are considered a major public health issue, according to Texas Health and Human Services. The state ranks third in the nation for the number of people living with the disease and second for deaths related to Alzheimer’s. In 2020, about 460,000 Texans 65 and older were living with the disease.

The growing public health burden is one reason scientists are working to counter the inflammation that increases with age. Current treatments, however, have not been effective at stopping or reversing brain changes linked to neuroinflammaging, the Texas A&M researchers said.

Delivering treatments to the brain is difficult because it is protected by a barrier that blocks most drugs from entering — a challenge that often requires invasive procedures or limits how well therapies work. In the new study, though, Shetty and his colleagues used tiny biological packages called extracellular vesicles to carry genetic material known as microRNAs into the brain. These molecules act as regulators, helping control how genes are turned on or off inside cells.

After bypassing the brain’s protective barrier, the microRNAs help switch off signals that drive long-term inflammation in aging brains. They also boost the cells’ energy supply, which may improve mental clarity and support memory and thinking. That latter effect appeared to be reflected in behavioral tests, where treated mice could better recognize familiar objects, detect changes in their environment and adapt more quickly than untreated mice.

The findings are still early, the researchers caution. More research is needed to confirm safety, effectiveness, optimal dosing and how well the therapy would work in humans. Shetty and his colleagues are filing a patent for the nasal spray and hope to move toward developing a version that could eventually be tested in people.

“We aren’t just trying to understand the biological mechanisms,” Shetty said in the news release. “We are translating and developing our findings into real-world therapies that could make a difference.”