Targeting IGF1R signaling for brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease

The role of IGF1R signaling in the brain and its relationship to aging and neurological dysfunction is controversial. Because it was shown that low IGF1R activity consistently improved myocardial bioenergetics and function in hearts from aging mice, but not hearts from young mice, it was of interest to investigate this relationship in brain aging. We used CRISPR technology to develop a mouse model with targeted replacement of mouse IGF1R with the equivalent of the human R407H (IGF1R(R407H)) variant enriched in centenarians with a reduction in IGF1R protein activity. Middle-aged mice show improved cognitive performance thus possibly modeling IGF1R signaling in the aging brain, similar to what was reported in the aging heart. Because Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related disease, specific IGF1R(R407H) pathways could be therapeutic targets in mice with AAV vector-based AD as well as for overall brain aging.