New Brain-Protecting Compound Works in Rats; Could Make Alzheimer's a Distant Memory
Researchers at Texas Southwestern Medical Center have discovered a compound that could potentially render Alzheimer's a thing of the past. After testing 1,000 different molecules on the memory hubs of rats suffering from memory loss, scientists there have come up with a compound that protects memory-forming cells in the hippocampus, which could lead to promising treatments for Alzheimer's and other memory affecting disorders. Memories are made possible by a process called neurogenesis, which spawns and maintains neurons in the brain's hippocampus region (specifically in the dentate gyrus). These particular neurons are delicate, and even in young healthy brains a 10 percent survival rate is pretty good. Introduce Alzheimer's into the equation, and that survival rate plummets to nearly zero, causing an inability to produce and maintain memories. Related ArticlesCell Phone Radiation Reverses Alzheimer's and Boosts Memory in Mice The Future of Memory DrugsMemory Scientists Say: All Is Not ForgottenTagsScience, Clay Dillow, alzheimer's,...