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An anti-aging vaccine: BCG turns back the clock on remyelination failure

Janssen M Kotah1, Bart J L Eggen1

  • 1Department of Biomedical Sciences, section Molecular Neurobiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.

Immunity
|September 11, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Aging impairs central nervous system (CNS) repair, affecting myelin. Research shows BCG vaccination can reverse age-related microglial changes after demyelination through epigenetic remodeling.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Aging Research

Background:

  • Aging impairs the central nervous system's (CNS) ability to maintain and repair myelin sheaths.
  • Myelin damage is associated with various age-related neurological diseases.
  • Microglia play a crucial role in CNS repair and are affected by aging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate aging-associated transcriptional changes in microglia following demyelination.
  • To explore the potential of epigenetic remodeling to reverse these age-related changes.
  • To assess the efficacy of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination in this context.

Main Methods:

  • Induction of demyelination in aged animal models.
  • Analysis of microglial transcriptional profiles using RNA sequencing.
  • Assessment of epigenetic modifications.
  • Administration of BCG vaccination and subsequent analysis.

Main Results:

  • Identified specific aging-associated transcriptional responses in microglia post-demyelination.
  • Demonstrated that BCG vaccination induced epigenetic remodeling in microglia.
  • Showcased the reversal of aging-associated microglial transcriptional signatures after BCG vaccination.

Conclusions:

  • Aging significantly alters microglial responses to demyelination.
  • Epigenetic remodeling via BCG vaccination offers a potential strategy to restore microglial function in aging CNS.
  • This finding opens new avenues for therapeutic interventions targeting age-related neurological disorders.

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