Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 27 October 2026 · From issue 58
Stress-inducible WASF3 regulates brain metabolism and cognitive function
In mice, a stress protein weakens brain energy use and hurts memory and learning.
Abu M. Syed, Jin Ma et al.
A protein called WASF3 builds up when cells are stressed. In mice, too much of it in a brain area used for memory caused brain cells to switch to a weaker energy system. This made the mice learn less well. Mice with no WASF3 kept using the stronger energy system and learned normally even under stress.
Shows a possible brain mechanism behind "brain fog" in chronic fatigue syndrome, tested only in mice.
Mouse study only, no human brain data yet.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 28 October 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). Read the source
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