What is Neurogenesis: Unlocking Brain Regeneration and Cognitive Potential

What Is Neurogenesis?

As of 2020, according to the WHO, 55 million people worldwide were recorded to be living with dementia. Beyond this there are likely another ten to fifteen million people living with other forms of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s – disincluding the many more millions upon millions of elderly suffering milder forms of cognitive decline. This causes significant suffering, both personally and economically, and would be happily ridded of. Yet how could this be done? Cures to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzhemier’s have been heavily invested in throughout recent years, with many different routes being pursued, but one of particular promise lies in the idea of neurogenesis.

The hippocampus is the area of the brain which deals with mood and memory, yet there is another vital role it plays of great relevance to this article – it is the home of neurogenesis. In other words, the hippocampus acts as a factory for the production of neural stem cells which are added to the brain’s pre-existing neural circuitry, supporting neuroplasticity. This is of great use in the hippocampus, where it is essential that the brain’s networks can change and grow to support learning and memory. Yet as we age, neurogenesis notably decreases, providing a strong case for its key importance. In old age, cognitive decline becomes prevalent, correspondingly with decreased production of new neural cells, and hence lesser neuroplasticity. Overall, what is typically associated with intelligence, that is strong memory and the ability to learn quickly and efficiently, is heavily linked with the rate of neurogenesis.

Yet neurogenesis is not as clear-cut as a predictable decrease with age, and the rate of neural stem cell production is, in actuality, highly malleable. Based on influential environmental factors such as diet, exercise, sleep and stress, the rate of neurogenesis can be significantly altered. For instance, studies involving mice in cages without running wheels (minimal exercise) compared to with running wheels (more exercise) have shown a 2 to 5-fold increase in the production of neural stem cells, and these findings seem to strongly correspond with humans. Furthermore, a study by Stanford Medicine in 2024 revealed that elevated glucose levels are linked with decreased neurogenesis. This indicates that conditions such as diabetes, oftentimes resulting from dietary factors, may lead to decreased neurogenesis. Overall, deficiencies in and poor quality of diet, exercise, sleep and stress show a clear link with decreased neurogenesis – which itself has been shown to lead to depressive and neurodegenerative symptoms. Yet in situations where a simple increase in exercise is unavailable, can neurogenesis be improved? Recent developments in pharmaceutical and biotechnology suggest so.

Emerging Pharmaceutical and Technological Enhancements

CRISPR and other gene-editing technologies have tremendous potential, as we have often investigated in previous articles, and promise to be greatly influential in brain enhancement and increasing neurogenesis. In doing this, there are two primary methods to investigate. The first method is to introduce neurotrophic factors, which assist in the maturation and development of neural cells, stimulating increased neurogenesis. This is done through viral vectors, which will spread the neurotrophic factors like a virus, yet without the harmful qualities. Another method of increasing neurogenesis would be through direct editing of the genes using CRISPR technology as we’ve previously investigated. As well as these methods, there have been, and will continue to be, a plethora of pharmaceutical developments which may offer great potential.

To increase the rate of neurogenesis, many promising drugs are being newly pioneered, with new research suggesting further avenues of development. One such example of this is clemastine, an antihistamine, which is typically used for treating allergies like hay fever and hives. Yet it has also shown potential to increase neurogenesis by decreasing myelin loss (the fatty insulation around nerves, similar to those around electrical wires), neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in aging. Furthermore, drugs such as tropoflavin (which mimics the effects of neurotrophic factors) and several antidepressants have also shown promise in increasing neurogenesis. Yet beyond this, new areas of research are opening up the path to dedicated neurogenesis drugs, and this beckons for further examination.

Neurogenesis is a fairly new field of research, with knowledge of its occurrence in the hippocampus only being discovered within the past 25 years. Consequently we have had limited time for pharmaceutical and medical research, yet this landscape is evolving. For instance, ALTO-100 is an investigational drug in Phase 2 clinical trials which is being developed to modulate brain-derived neurotrophic factors to promote neurogenesis and neuroplasticity. This carries with it significant promise as it has already shown an increase in memory and cognition. Furthermore, research into the link between glucose levels and neurogenesis (as we previously discussed), has spurred increased pharmaceutical research into targeting glucose metabolism for neurogenesis. Overall, these developments show great promise, with their potential lying not only in the medical realm but potentially in our greater society.

Medical Potential and The Future of Brain Enhancement

Neurogenesis plays a vital role in our mental health and functioning, with the aforementioned developments offering tremendous medical potential. Not only is it a novel means of lowering depression, neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, but widely accessible drugs such as clemastine and the like could open the door to extensive medical and economic improvement. Yet its potential goes beyond that, with greater memory and cognitive capacities being an attractive possibility to a vast collection of the population.

I would consider neurogenesis-enhancing technologies to lie in the same category as BCIs (brain computer interfaces) in terms of their future societal adoption. With companies like Neuralink, BCIs are currently being used to open up previously unobtainable opportunities to people with disabilities such as blindness or paraplegia, including controlling computers, robotic limbs or seeing through cameras. Yet in the future BCIs may well allow telepathy, integrated AIs and seamless internet access to general and unimpaired people. Neurogenesis-enhancing technologies offer a similar potential with their current use lying in treating patients with depression and neurodegenerative diseases, yet offering a later potential of more general brain enhancement.

But of course this raises its own concerns, as often happens when discussing human enhancement. With large corporations, complex legal matters, and ethical arguments, many aspects of neurogenesis-enhancement will likely encounter setbacks and challenges (particularly with CRISPR). Small corporations offer little credibility and trust (not my type for personal biological manipulation), while big corporations, with all the many issues of big pharma companies, are clearly not the desirable option for the seemingly inevitable future of human enhancement. Mixed in with all the legal and ethical debates, this technology undoubtedly carries a hazy future. Overall, the medical potential of improving neurogenesis is tremendous, but we it is vital that we keep a watchful eye over its future in human enhancement.

How do you see it? Comment your take👇

If you enjoyed this article or are interested to learn more, check out the article below on human enhancement:

• Cellular Rejuvenation: Unlocking Human Potential Through mRNA Reprogramming

• Human Enhancement Ethics: The Risks of Transhumanism and Emerging Cultural Trends