Exercise benefits in the brain can be replicated by Platelets

Pre-clinical trials by University of Queensland researchers have found an injection of a specific blood factor can replicate the benefits of exercise in the brain. The study has been published in Nature Communications.

Dr Odette Leiter and Dr Tara Walker from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute led a team which discovered platelets, the tiny blood cells critical for blood clotting, secrete a protein that rejuvenates neurons in aged mice in a similar way to physical exercise.

The researchers focused on exerkines, the biological compounds released into the bloodstream during exercise, which are believed to stimulate the exercise-induced response in the brain.

Dr Leiter said, “We discovered that the exerkine CXCL4/Platelet factor 4 or PF4, which is released from platelets after exercise, results in regenerative and cognitive improvements when injected into aged mice.”

Dr Walker said the findings have significant implications for the development of drug interventions.

She added, “For a lot of people with health conditions, mobility issues or of advanced age, exercise isn’t possible, so pharmacological intervention is an important area of research. We can now target platelets to promote neurogenesis, enhance cognition and counteract age-related cognitive decline.”

Reference: Platelets can replicate the benefits of exercise in the brain, Nature Communications, DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-39873-9