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A study published in 2023 found that reducing Menin, a protein in the hypothalamus, was linked to inflammation and several aging-related changes in mice. Restoring Menin improved multiple measures in older mice, while three weeks of D-serine improved learning and memory tests. The findings are from mice and do not establish an effective or safe treatment for people.
A study in mice found that declining levels of the brain protein Menin were associated with inflammation and several aging-related changes, while restoring the protein improved measures of memory, balance, bone mass and skin thickness in older animals. The researchers also reported that three weeks of the amino acid D-serine improved older mice’s performance on learning and memory tests; the results do not show that the approach works in people.
Researchers led by Lige Leng of Xiamen University reported the findings in a paper published in PLOS Biology in March 2023. They found that Menin levels declined with age in certain neurons in the hypothalamus, a brain region involved in regulating functions including metabolism, sleep and hormone production. The same decline was not observed in astrocytes or microglia, according to the report.
In experiments, mice with reduced Menin activity developed increased hypothalamic inflammation alongside thinner skin, lower bone mass and poorer cognitive performance. Their lifespans were modestly shortened. These results suggest that reducing Menin can contribute to changes associated with aging in this mouse model, rather than simply tracking age. They do not establish that Menin loss is a principal cause of aging in humans.
The team then used gene delivery to increase Menin production in the ventromedial hypothalamus of 20-month-old mice. After 30 days, the treated animals showed improvements in skin thickness, bone mass and tests of learning, memory and balance, as well as reduced inflammation and changes in some aging-associated metabolic measures. A separate survival analysis found longer lives among treated mice than among untreated controls, though the source report does not provide the size of that difference.
The researchers also linked Menin to D-serine, a signaling-related amino acid that helps regulate NMDA receptors involved in communication between nerve cells. Menin affects PHGDH, an enzyme in the pathway that produces serine. When Menin declined, D-serine levels in the hippocampus also fell; restoring Menin increased them. In a separate experiment, older mice given D-serine in drinking water for three weeks did better on learning and memory tests, without direct Menin restoration.
A Brain Pathway With Wider Effects
The study adds evidence from animal research that the hypothalamus may influence aging-related changes beyond the brain. The region helps coordinate bodily systems, and the reported effects of altering Menin included measures of cognition, bone, skin and metabolism. The results point to a possible biological connection between inflammation and changes across multiple tissues.
The D-serine experiment is a separate and narrower finding: it concerns performance on tests in mice, not proven prevention or reversal of human memory loss. D-serine’s role in brain signaling gives researchers a pathway to investigate, but the experiment does not show that a supplement is safe, beneficial, or appropriately dosed for people. The work is best understood as a lead for further research, not a recommendation to take amino-acid supplements.
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Menin, Inflammation and Memory Signaling
The hypothalamus is a small region near the base of the brain that helps control functions such as temperature, hunger, metabolism and hormone production. Persistent inflammation in the brain can disrupt normal cellular activity, and earlier work by Leng’s group had identified Menin as a protein that helps restrain inflammation there. Menin also influences gene activity, which may help explain its effects on several biological pathways.
D-serine is distinct from L-serine, a related amino acid found in foods such as soybeans, eggs, fish and nuts. The source report cautions that eating foods containing L-serine is not equivalent to taking D-serine. The mouse study’s D-serine result came from a specific experimental supplement regimen; it cannot be translated directly into a human diet or dosage.
ScienceDaily’s October 2026 article revisits research originally published in March 2023 and notes that later research has added evidence for the brain’s role in regulating aging. The material provided does not identify those later studies, so their findings cannot be assessed here in detail. The central Menin and D-serine results remain findings from animal experiments.
“The study identifies a connection among declining Menin, hypothalamic inflammation and age-related changes in mice.”
— Lige Leng and colleagues at Xiamen University, as described in the study
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Human Effects Remain Untested
The source describes experiments in mice, not clinical trials in people. It is unknown whether restoring Menin or supplementing with D-serine would improve human memory, affect other aspects of aging, or carry risks. The material does not give enough information to determine the size of the reported effects, the full experimental design, or how broadly the results apply across animals.
The survival analysis is also described without figures for the lifespan difference, and the source does not specify the D-serine amount given to the mice or provide a human safety assessment. Improvement on laboratory learning and memory tests is not the same as demonstrated protection against dementia or age-related memory loss in people.
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Further Testing Needed Before Use
The next step is further research to replicate the findings and clarify how Menin, inflammation and D-serine interact in the brain and other tissues. Studies would also need to determine whether the effects hold across different models and whether the observed changes persist beyond the reported treatment periods.
Any move toward human research would need to establish safety, dosing and measurable outcomes before testing whether the approach affects memory or other age-related conditions. No human treatment or supplement recommendation follows from this mouse study; the source material does not report a clinical trial or a planned trial.
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Key Questions
What did the mouse study find about Menin?
Researchers found that Menin declined in certain hypothalamic neurons as mice aged. Reducing its activity was linked to inflammation and several aging-related changes, while restoring it improved a range of measures in older mice.
Did D-serine improve memory in people?
No human benefit was reported. The study described in the source tested D-serine in older mice and found improved performance on learning and memory tests.
Is D-serine the same as the serine in food?
No. D-serine and L-serine are related but have different biological roles. The source says that eating foods containing L-serine is not equivalent to taking D-serine.
Does the study show that Menin reverses aging?
No. It reported improvements in selected measures in mice after Menin was increased in a specific hypothalamic region. It does not establish that aging can be reversed in people.
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