Accumulation of D-Aspartic Acid with Age in the Human Brain

• DOI: 10.1126/science.6857259
• Publication Date: 2006-10-05T18:37:18Z
• Authors: Eugene H. Man; Mark E. Sandhouse; Jonathan Burg; George H. Fisher
• Keywords: Adult; Brain Chemistry; 0301 basic medicine; Aging; Aspartic Acid; Lens Nucleus, Crystalline; Middle Aged; 03 medical and health sciences; Osteopathic Medicine and Osteopathy; Medical Specialties; Medicine and Health Sciences; Humans; Eye Proteins; Aged

An age-related accumulation of D-aspartic acid was detected in the white matter of ten normal brains from individuals aged 30 to 80 years. Gray matter showed no systematic increase in D-aspartic acid. The rate constant for D-aspartate formation in the brain is equal to the predicted value calculated for 37°C. Accumulation of the uncommon D-aspartate isomer in myelinated white matter implies that there is little or no turnover of this tissue, and this may have a bearing on dysfunction of the aging brain or on other diseases of myelin.