A study by researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, undertaken by neuroscientist Mauro Costa-Mattioli has found suppressing a molecule called PKR in the brains of mice improved the rodents' memory function and learning abilities.
PKR is an immune molecule previously known to act as a signal to the brain of viral infections.
The BCM researchers also found that this process could be mimicked by a PKR inhibitor — a small molecule that blocks PKR activity and thus acts as a “memory-enhancing drug.” The next step is to use what we have learned in mice and to try to improve brain function in people suffering from memory loss, said Costa-Mattioli. The results have been published in Cell with the title, Suppression of PKR Promotes Network Excitability and Enhanced Cognition by Interferon-γ-Mediated Disinhibition.
There are roughly 6 million Americans and 35 million people world-wide with Alzheimer’s disease and more than 70 million Americans over the age of 60 who may suffer from aged-associated impairment of memory.
But note the figure above: in mice that have been genetically engineering to inhibit PKR (right), the result is to lower GABA release. We know that GABA, the brain’s major inhibitory neurotransmitter, has an anti-anxiety or calming effect, which is why tranquilizers increase GABA production. So could using the PKR inhibitor drug also lead to increased anxiety?
0 comments:
Post a Comment