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This findings build on the team's 2007 breakthrough in which mice with symptoms of Alzheimer's disease regained long-term memories and the ability to learn. Th
by chops 17y ago
This findings build on the team's 2007 breakthrough in which mice with symptoms of Alzheimer's disease regained long-term memories and the ability to learn.
This is amazing news if it's really true. Like many here, my grandmother is suffering from dementia/alzheimer's, and she remembers none of her grandchildren, and occasionally she'll remember her some of her children. It would be nice if she could remember me again.
- dhimes 17y agoIt would have a big impact on my family, too. I hope it stands.
- a-priori 17y agoAbout a month ago, I presented their 2007 paper in a seminar class, so I'm familiar with their work. The biochemistry of how HDAC inhibitors work is over my head, but the neuroscience is quite intriguing and promising. Here's what they say about HDAC inhibitors in the abstract of the 2007 paper: "Moreover, increased histone acetylation by inhibitors of histone deacetylases induced sprouting of dendrites, an increased number of synapses, and reinstated learning behaviour and access to long-term memories". That paper showed that the effects of HDAC inhibitors were similar to environmental enrichment in recovering and preventing the loss of memories. The interesting part is that they do not prevent neuronal loss by brain atrophy; memory improves in the mice despite severe atrophy. If you're interested, the article I'm referring to is: Fischer et al. Recovery of learning and memory is associated with chromatin remodelling. Nature (2007) vol. 447 (7141) pp. 178. Edit: Their experiments used mice, not rats. Oops.