Posted on 12/19/2011 4:52:53 PM PST by decimon
Scientists have isolated a gene in mice that works to give them "super memories" and reverses the course of several degenerative mental illnesses like Alzheimer's. And because of the similarity of mice and human brains, a powerful brain pill for humans may now not be far off.
The brains of both mice and humans release a gene known as PKR, which is triggered by the onset of Alzheimer's. But the newly discovered gene can apparently block PKR's release--a development that not only can reverse the course of degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's, but induces a state of "super memory" in the mice it has been tested on.
"If we were to find an inhibitor, a molecule, a drug that will specifically block PKR, we should be able to do the same [in humans]," Maura Costa-Mattioli, who led the research study at Baylor University, told the Vancouver Sun. "And we did."
"We recognize that PKR plays a dual role, one in regulating simple everyday processes like the way neurons talk to each other [for] memory, but also has a stress response," added John Bell, a senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute who also contributed to the study.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Ping
And this will be the last we ever hear of it.
...at least that's what my pet chimpanzee tells me!
Just the other day, I was talking to my wife and ... uh ... the other day my wife and I were chatting about ... er .... umm ... I remember the conversation I had with a lady just .... ahhhhh ... I seem to remember .... or ... no, I don’t.
Reminds me of a very old joke about “smart pills”.
I wish I could forget 0bama, Pelosi, Fwank, Reid, Dodd, etc.
Reminds me of the movie “Limitless”.
CRS Disease? Suffered from it for years now...
The first symptom of old age that I noticed was a severe decline in my memory and the second symptom was............just wait, it’ll come to me.
Can’t remember STUFF, right?
This will be good for all those old guys who take Viagra but can’t remember why....
When you get so old you can’t do it anymore, your memory is so bad you actually thought you did it.
Hope and change?
“Flowers for Algernon “?
proof read = proofread
know idea = no idea
I am sad to see the posts about this possible breakthrough for Alzheimer’s Disease. Anyone who has ever had a loved one stricken with Alzheimer’s is always hopeful that someday there will be a help! As a family member who has lost a loved one to the disease, I worry about it being hereditary.
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