Nutraceuticals and nootropics for anti-aging

DHEA found to be promoter of growth and repair of nervous tissue

The steroid hormone DHEA has been available as a nutritional supplement for a decade or so, and many claims have been made as to the nature of its benefits. Clinical studies of DHEA have produced inconsistent results, and researchers have admitted that they do not know what DHEA’s normal role is in the body. This situation may now have changed, thanks to work done at the University of Wisconsin.

Working with human neural stem cells in tissue culture, researchers showed that DHEA promotes the replication and growth of certain types of these nerve cells. The effect was a large one — DHEA caused a 29% increase in the production of this subset of nerve cells when compared to similar cultures grown without DHEA.

Although the stem cells used in these experiments were derived from fetuses, the fact that the adult human brain also contains neural stem cells gives reason to think that DHEA may stimulate growth and repair of brain tissue in adults.

Link to news articles:

DHEA Boosts Growth Rate of Human Neural Stem Cells

Hormone DHEA Spurs Brain Cell Growth

Link to abstract of research report:

Mitotic and neurogenic effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on human neural stem cell cultures derived from the fetal cortex.

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Another study of DHEA’s effects on nerve tissue offers hope for repair of damaged spinal cords. A group at the University of California, San Francisco, showed that DHEA, applied to spinal cord injuries in mice, enhanced recovery of left-right coordination and fine motor control.

Link to abstract of research report:

Treatment with the neurosteroid dehydroepiandrosterone promotes recovery of motor behavior after moderate contusive spinal cord injury in the mouse.