Boosting a gene reduced brain inflammation in mutant flies
In male flies modeling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, increasing a gene’s activity in brain support cells reduced inflammation and improved movement.
Our read
Mechanisms- Studied:
- Experiments in male flies modeling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- What changed:
- Increasing kayak activity in brain support cells reduced brain inflammation in male flies modeling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- The catch:
- Brain inflammation was assessed only through immune-related gene activity
- In the record:
- One of 4 papers on kay on record: none yet with results in people, 3 in animals.
- Why it’s aging research:
- Change across ages, or exceptional longevity.
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Researchers genetically engineered Drosophila melanogaster flies to model amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal disease that progressively impairs movement. In these animal experiments, mutant males and females developed worsening climbing difficulties with age and lived shorter lives than control flies. Measurements of gene activity suggested a broad, low-grade increase in brain immune signaling as the flies aged.
The team identified kayak, a gene that regulates brain inflammation, as a key player in glia, the brain’s support cells. Making glia produce more of the protein encoded by kayak reduced inflammation and partly improved climbing performance in male mutant flies. Reducing kayak activity worsened inflammation and accelerated movement decline.
Why it matters
The work addresses how inflammation that develops with age in brain support cells may influence the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Caveats
Inflammation was assessed through immune-related gene activity. These experiments involved flies modeling one form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, not tests of a treatment in people.
The paper
Fos regulates age-dependent neuroinflammation in a VAPP58S model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune
Disease Models & Mechanisms, Jun 4, 2026, Open access
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