{"id":25817,"date":"2023-11-29T17:19:57","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T17:19:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solongevity.com\/longevity-news\/memory-can-it-be-turned-back-on-with-a-molecular-switch\/"},"modified":"2023-11-29T17:19:57","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T17:19:57","slug":"memory-can-it-be-turned-back-on-with-a-molecular-switch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/solongevity.com\/en\/longevity-news\/memory-can-it-be-turned-back-on-with-a-molecular-switch\/","title":{"rendered":"Memory, can it be turned back on with a molecular switch?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Turning<\/strong> the memory<\/strong> back on through some kind of molecular switch<\/strong> sounds more like a fantasy than a realistic idea. But a group of neuroscientists from the Catholic University and Policlinico Gemelli in Rome has indeed tried to do so in mice by modifying a protein<\/strong> that has key functions in neuronal plasticity<\/strong>. The protein in question is the enzyme LIMK1<\/strong>, which the team of researchers made activatable “on command”<\/strong> through the administration of a molecule called rapamycin<\/strong>. The results of the study<\/a> were published in Science Advances<\/em>, and showed great promise in the animal models<\/strong> used.<\/p>\n

A molecular switch<\/h3>\n

The enzyme LIMK1<\/strong> promotes the formation of so-called dendritic spines, special structures found on the synapses of neurons that in turn enhance the transmission of information within neural networks. “Controlling LIMK1 with a drug – explains<\/a> Claudio Grassi, director of the Department of Neuroscience at the Catholic University of Rome-means being able to promote the synaptic plasticity<\/strong> and, therefore, the physiological processes that depend on it,” such as precisely those related to memory<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The regulation of LIMK1 was achieved by creating a kind of molecular switch<\/strong>: in essence, the sequence for the expression of a second protein<\/strong> (which will basically be fused to LIMK1) that changes conformation when it binds to rapamycin<\/strong> inserted inside the LIMK1 gene. This conformational change activates LIMK1 and thus promotes the formation of dendritic spines.<\/p>\n

Strengthening memory<\/h3>\n

“In animals<\/strong> with age-related cognitive decline,” explains Cristian Ripoli, professor of physiology at Catholic University, “using this type of gene therapy to modify the LIMK1 protein and activate it with drugs [i.e., rapamycin administration, ed.] resulted in significant improvement in memory<\/strong>. This approach, he continued, theoretically allows manipulation of the neuronal processes that regulate memory under both physiological and pathological conditions.<\/p>\n

According to Grassi, the next step will be to test the effectiveness<\/strong> of this type of approach in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases<\/strong>, such as Alzheimer’s<\/strong> disease. “Further studies,” the expert concludes, “will then be needed to validate the use of this technology in humans.<\/p>\n

What is rapamycin?<\/h3>\n

Used in this study as part of a mechanism designed to promote neuronal transmission, rapamycin<\/a> is an already known molecule that, for the time being, is used in the clinic as an anti-rejection drug<\/strong> after transplants. However, some studies are investigating its effects in the context of aging-related<\/strong> phenomena. In particular, this molecule appears to be able to counteract the reduction in the expression of histones<\/strong>, i.e., the proteins on which DNA is wrapped, that occurs physiologically as age progresses. Past studies have also shown that administering it to “aged” mice for a period of time extends their lives by about 50 percent. Research is still ongoing, including whether the various side effects<\/strong> of rapamycin administration can be remedied.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An all-Italian research team has engineered a protein that promotes the exchange of information between neurons, making it activatable through the administration of rapamycin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":25132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[159,171],"class_list":["post-25817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","tag-longevity-science-en","tag-rejuvenation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMemory, can it be turned back on with a molecular switch? - SoLongevity<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An all-Italian research team has engineered a protein to promote information exchange between neurons, and thus memory.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/solongevity.com\/en\/longevity-news\/memory-can-it-be-turned-back-on-with-a-molecular-switch\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Memory, can it be turned back on with a molecular switch? 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