Research Highlight: Scientists ID molecule that can preserve memory-storing neuronal spines
DALLAS – November 2016 – Researchers have identified a molecule in mice that can preserve memory-storing parts of the neuron that deplete with age or in diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
The study from UT Southwestern Medical Center builds upon previous findings that found the loss of dendritic spines in neurons may explain memory defects associated with dementias. Researchers had found a calcium pathway that may help preserve the function of the spines, but until the new study they had not yet known the molecular identity of the pathway.
The finding, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, may eventually help scientists develop drugs that can activate this molecule in Alzheimer’s patients, thus preserving neuronal spines that play an important role in memory storage, said Dr. Ilya Bezprozvanny, Professor of Physiology at UT Southwestern. Dr. Bezprozvanny is holder of the Carl J. and Hortense M. Thomsen Chair in Alzheimer's Disease Research.
About UT Southwestern Medical Center
UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty includes many distinguished members, including six who have been awarded Nobel Prizes since 1985. The faculty of almost 2,800 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide medical care in about 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients and oversee approximately 2.2 million outpatient visits a year.
