Just two doses of new nasal spray found to slow brain ageing and restore memory

Scientists have developed a new nasal spray that can dramatically reduce brain inflammation and restore memory in just two doses with effects lasting months, according to a new study.

Recently, a growing body of research suggests that the brain fog one experiences as they grow older is linked to a tide of inflammation deep within the brain’s memory centre. Scientists call this “neuroinflammaging” – thought to be the inevitable price of growing older.

But now, a new mice study suggests that this inflammation behind brain ageing and brain fog can actually be reversed with a simple nasal spray.

This spray could reshape the future of therapies for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, and may even change what is known about brain ageing itself, say researchers from Texas A&M University.

“As we develop and scale this therapy, a simple, two-dose nasal spray could one day replace invasive, risky procedures or maybe even months of medication,” says Ashok Shetty, lead author of the study published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles.

Dementia cases are projected to more than double in several parts of the world within just the next four decades as the world’s population ages, raising an urgent need for policies and interventions to cut the risk and severity of the condition.

“Our approach redefines what it means to grow old,” Dr Shetty says.

“We’re aiming for successful brain ageing: keeping people engaged, alert, and connected. Not just living longer, but living smarter and healthier,” he says.

The nasal spray works equally effectively across genders, and may one day even help stroke survivors rebuild lost brain function, researchers say.

It contains millions of microscopic biological parcels known as extracellular vesicles (EVs) that act like delivery vehicles to carry powerful genetic cargo called microRNAs, which are the active ingredients.

“MicroRNAs act like master regulators. They help modulate and regulate many gene and signalling pathways in the brain,” explained study co-author Madhu Leelavathi Narayana.

With the help of the EVs, the MicroRNAs bypass the brain’s protective shield and travel directly into brain tissue, where they are absorbed.

“The mode of delivery is one of the most exciting aspects of our approach. Intranasal delivery allows us to reach and treat the brain directly without invasive procedures,” said Maheedhar Kodali, another author of the study.

Once in the brain, the microRNAs suppress protein systems like NLRP3 and cGAS–STING, which are known to drive chronic inflammation in ageing brains.

The treatment also recharges the cell power plants, mitochondria, inside the brain’s neurons, scientists say.

“We are giving neurons their spark back by reducing oxidative stress and reactivating the brain’s mitochondria,” Dr Narayana explained.

Mice treated with the nasal spray showed remarkable improvements in not only recognising familiar objects, but also detecting new objects and changes in their environment.

“We are seeing the brain’s own repair systems switch on, healing inflammation and restoring itself,” Dr Shetty says.

Researchers say a US patent has already been filed for the nasal spray, and hope it could become a breakthrough for brain ageing treatments.