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A study published in PLOS Biology in 2023 found that Menin levels declined in certain brain cells as mice aged; reducing the protein worsened several age-associated measures, while restoring it improved some outcomes. Giving older mice D-serine for three weeks improved learning and memory test performance, but the findings are from mice and do not show that supplements prevent memory loss in people.
A study in mice found that declining levels of the brain protein Menin were associated with inflammation and several age-related changes, while restoring the protein improved measures including memory and balance. The researchers also reported that three weeks of D-serine supplementation improved older mice’s learning and memory test performance; the findings do not establish that the amino acid benefits people or prevents human memory loss.
Researchers led by Lige Leng of Xiamen University examined Menin in the hypothalamus, a brain region involved in regulating functions such as metabolism, sleep and hormone production. They found that Menin levels fell with age in certain hypothalamic neurons, but not in the astrocytes or microglia examined. Menin is involved in regulating gene activity and, in earlier work by the group, was linked to controlling inflammation in the hypothalamus.
To test whether the decline could contribute to aging-related changes, the team used genetically modified mice with reduced Menin activity. Those animals developed greater hypothalamic inflammation, thinner skin, lower bone mass and worse cognitive performance; their lifespans were modestly shorter than those of comparison mice. In a separate experiment, the researchers used gene delivery to raise Menin production in a specific hypothalamic area in 20-month-old mice. After 30 days, treated animals showed improvements in skin thickness, bone mass, learning and memory tests, and balance, alongside reduced inflammation and changes in some metabolic measures. The report also describes a survival analysis in which treated mice lived longer than untreated controls.
The team linked Menin to D-serine, a signaling molecule that helps regulate NMDA receptors involved in communication between nerve cells. Menin affected production of PHGDH, an enzyme in the serine-production pathway; lower Menin activity was associated with lower D-serine availability. In older mice, D-serine delivered in drinking water for three weeks improved learning and memory test results without directly restoring Menin. The experiments support a possible biological connection, but do not establish that D-serine alone explains all the effects of Menin or that the approach would work in humans.
A Brain Pathway With Wider Effects
The findings add to research examining whether the brain helps regulate changes elsewhere in the body during aging. The hypothalamus coordinates systems that affect multiple organs, so a change in its inflammatory state or signaling could plausibly have effects beyond cognition. In these experiments, altering Menin was followed by changes in several measures, including bone mass, skin thickness and memory performance.
The work also points to a distinction between identifying a possible mechanism and establishing a treatment. Gene delivery to a defined brain region is not the same as an available therapy, and improvements in mouse tests are not proof of better health or memory in people. The D-serine result is a lead for further research, not evidence that taking a supplement can prevent or reverse human cognitive decline.
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How Menin Connects to D-Serine
The study was originally published in PLOS Biology in March 2023 and was later summarized by ScienceDaily. Its focus was the ventromedial hypothalamus, a part of the hypothalamus involved in metabolism and energy balance. The researchers used gene delivery to increase Menin in this region of older mice, rather than administering a widely available intervention that could be assumed to have the same effect in people.
D-serine should not be confused with L-serine, a related amino acid found in foods including soybeans, eggs, fish and nuts. The two forms have different biological roles, and eating foods containing L-serine is not equivalent to taking D-serine. The report identifies D-serine’s role in NMDA-receptor signaling as a possible explanation for the memory-test results, while the broader Menin experiments involved several outcomes and biological changes.
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Human Effects Remain Unknown
The evidence described is from mouse experiments. It does not show whether Menin declines in the same way in people, whether changing Menin would be safe or effective in humans, or whether D-serine supplementation improves human memory. The available report also does not provide enough detail to assess the size and durability of the D-serine effect, the dose used, or potential risks from longer-term use.
It remains unclear how much of the observed improvement followed specifically from increased D-serine, how the amino acid’s effects relate to other Menin-controlled processes, and whether the reported survival difference would hold up in additional studies. The results do not support a claim that a supplement can stop aging or treat memory loss.
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Further Tests Must Establish Relevance
The next step is replication and closer testing of the proposed pathway, including whether Menin and D-serine changes can be confirmed in other animal studies and how durable the effects are. Research would also need to establish suitable doses, safety and the biological effects of D-serine before any conclusions about human use could be drawn.
No human trial or planned follow-up is specified in the supplied report. Until further evidence is available, the findings are best understood as a preclinical research result, not a recommendation to take D-serine or an established approach to slowing aging.
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Key Questions
What did the researchers find about Menin?
In mice, Menin levels declined with age in certain hypothalamic neurons. Reducing Menin activity worsened several age-associated measures, while restoring it in a specific brain region improved some measures in older mice.
Did D-serine improve memory in people?
The reported experiment was in older mice. It found better performance on learning and memory tests after three weeks of D-serine in drinking water; it does not establish a benefit in people.
Is D-serine the same as the serine in food?
No. D-serine and L-serine are related but have different biological roles. Foods containing L-serine are not equivalent to the D-serine used in the mouse experiment.
Does this study show that D-serine prevents aging?
No. The study does not show that D-serine prevents aging, treats memory loss or extends human lifespan. Its findings are limited to animal experiments and require further research.
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