Revision History

A groundbreaking study published in Nature in February 2026 has revealed that 'SuperAgers' — people over 80 with the memory of 50-year-olds — generate at least twice as many new neurons in the hippocampus as typical older adults, driven by a distinct "resilience signature" involving astrocytes and CA1 neurons. The findings, from a 25-year research program at Northwestern University and UIC, settle a long-standing neuroscience debate about adult neurogenesis and open promising new avenues for Alzheimer's treatment by identifying chromatin accessibility as a key differentiator between resilient and declining brains.