Credit: Unsplash+. Researchers at UCLA Health have discovered a molecule that shows promise in restoring memory and cognitive function in mice with Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.
This breakthrough could pave the way for a new approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease in humans if further studies prove successful.
The molecule, known as DDL-920, was developed and tested by a team of scientists led by Dr. Istvan Mody and Dr. Varghese John at UCLA. Unlike current Alzheimer’s treatments, which focus on removing harmful plaque buildup in the brain, this molecule aims to “reboot” the brain’s memory circuits.
The researchers are excited about the potential of DDL-920 because it works in a completely different way from existing treatments.
The buildup of plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, is the target of several recently approved drugs like lecanemab and aducanumab.
These medications help clear plaques and slow down cognitive decline, but they do not restore memory or fix the damaged brain circuits.
“They leave behind a brain that may be free of plaques, but the underlying problems in the brain’s circuitry and neurons remain,” explained Dr. Mody, a professor of neurology and physiology at UCLA.
In the new study, Mody and John, who is the director of the Drug Discovery Laboratory at UCLA’s Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, decided to take a different approach.
Instead of focusing on removing plaques, they wanted to find a way to reactivate the brain’s memory functions.The brain uses electrical signals to control its many functions, similar to how traffic lights control the flow of cars.One type of these signals, known as gamma oscillations, plays a critical role in cognitive processes like working memory—the kind of memory that helps you remember things like a phone number.In people with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, these gamma oscillations are often weakened.In previous attempts, researchers have tried using external tools, such as sound waves or magnetic stimulation, to increase gamma oscillations.While these methods helped dissolve brain plaques, they didn’t significantly improve memory. Mody and his team wanted to take a different path—finding a way to trigger these brain rhythms from within using a specially designed […]
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