Drug Reverses Aging-Associated Changes in Brain Cells, Animal Study Shows

It has been found that drugs that affect the levels of an important brain protein involved in learning and memory reverse cellular changes in the brain seen during aging. The discovery could eventually aid in the development of new drugs that enhance cognitive function in older adults. Aging-related memory loss is associated with the gradual deterioration of the structure and function of synapses in brain regions important to learning and memory, such as the hippocampus. Recent studies suggest that histone acetylation, a chemical process that controls whether genes are turned on, affects this process and affects brain cells' ability to alter the strength and structure of their connections for information storage. This finding could lead to the development of new drugs for cognitive aging and aging-related neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease.

Link to the article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111207113552.htm